Why this is important to Wisconsin businesses: Wisconsin companies developing unmanned aerial systems and related technologies may find opportunities in the region.
Singapore is investing in drones and other advanced technology as its pool of potential personnel shrinks.
In a March 2025 announcement, Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen said the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will establish two new divisions to focus on developing unmanned vehicles for the Army and Air Force and to develop capabilities to protect against any aggressor’s drone threats.
Drones are playing an increasing role in wars around the world, Ng said, citing a study by the Kyiv School of Economics that showed Ukraine is capable of producing 4 million drones a year—one-hundred times as many as before its war with Russia.
One reason for Singapore’s emphasis on unmanned systems is the aging population, Ng said. The Defense Ministry has said its Navy anticipates a 30% decrease in the number of personnel over the next 20 years, according to U.S.-based Defense News.
In September 2024, Singapore and the U.S. collaborated to begin tests of drone swarm technologies. Goals include developing systems that will help ships operating close to shore to continuously detect and disrupt unauthorized drones, and to provide communications with commercial drones involved in disaster relief missions, according to the U.S. Defense Department.
Other countries in the region are also taking a good look at unmanned aerial systems. Both Malaysia and Indonesia have purchased military drones from Turkey. Malaysia wants to boost its maritime surveillance and defend its territory in the South China Sea and Indonesia is working to combat illegal activities such as unauthorized fishing and drug trafficking.
Singapore also is using drones for non-military operations. In 2022, the country’s Building and Construction Authority began using the aerial vehicles to inspect high-rise buildings as an alternative to the costly, risky practice of sending workers up the facades in gondolas or boom lifts, according to Enterprise Singapore.
Wisconsin companies involved in the drone industry may find a host of opportunities in the Singapore region.
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