Singapore deploys V60 UAVs on Independence class

The Independence-class littoral mission vessel, RSS Fearless , seen here patrolling the Singapore Strait. Singapore is progressively deploying the Veloce 60 UAV across the class. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) has begun operating the Veloce 60 (V60) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to further enhance its maritime situational awareness.

In response to questions from Janes , a spokesperson from Singapore's Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) confirmed that the RSN is progressively operationalising the UAV system from its Independence-class littoral mission vessels (LMVs).

“The V60 UAVs will enhance the RSN's surveillance capabilities and range, enabling our ships to detect, identify, and classify potential threats more effectively and from a further distance,” the spokesperson said.

“Designed for maritime operations, the V60s are capable of operating safely and autonomously on board a moving ship,” the spokesperson added.

The V60 is a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAV manufactured by Singapore defence technology firm ST Engineering and developed by Singapore's Defence Science Organisation (DSO) National Laboratories.

It has a wingspan of 5 m and a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 70 kg. Depending on the payload carried, the UAV can attain top speeds of between 50 and 70 kt with an endurance of between 12 and 14 hours.

The UAV is equipped with shoulder-mounted wings, four vertical-lift electric motors, and a rear-mounted piston engine that drives a two-bladed propeller.

It is equipped with a nose-mounted electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) turret and an inverted V-tail, which lowers aerodynamic drag and improves the UAV's fuel efficiency. The datalink range for the UAV is approximately 70 km.

When operated from onboard vessels, the V60 is capable of resisting windspeeds of up to 25 kt in all directions.