Interview with Chua Jin Kiat, Executive Vice President, International Defence Business, ST Engineering, Singapore
With our magazine, we have been following European and international efforts in civil protection and disaster management for years. For this edition, we asked a Singapore-based company about collaboration projects and the company’s contribution to protecting people in south-east Asia and beyond.
The European: Mr Chua, ST Engineering, headquartered in Singapore, brings products and services for the aerospace, smart city, defence, marine and public security sectors under one roof. In summary, is the protection of people at the heart of your business?
Chua Jin Kiat: Yes, we are committed to applying our technology and innovation to solve real-world problems and improve lives, and this extends to saving lives and fostering resilient communities. With our deep expertise in defence technology and engineering across the land, air, space, and sea domains, we are uniquely equipped to support communities in times of crisis. Our capabilities seamlessly extend to the protection of people, covering Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), critical infrastructure, intelligence operations, homeland security applications, maritime safety and security systems, and satellite technology.
The European: In the field of civil protection and disaster management, are you engaged in cooperation projects with other countries in your region or beyond?
Chua Jin Kiat: Yes, as the escalation of natural disasters due to climate change is a growing concern, efforts to address civil protection and disaster management are evident across various regions. We at ST Engineering actively foster collaborative initiatives and partnerships to bolster support for disaster management. For instance, we collaborated with a partner in Mexico to deploy ExtremV, our commercial all terrain tracked carrier, as part of a hurricane rescue mission last year. We are also developing an aerial firefighting platform based on the Boeing 757 aircraft with Galactic Holdings.
The European: You mentioned ExtremV. Can you give some more details on this new product serving HADR teams?
Chua Jin Kiat: Unlike standard emergency vehicles, ExtremV is the follow-up vehicle to the famous Bronco ATTC, but in a lighter and non-armoured version. It was designed to traverse the most challenging terrains and withstand extreme climate conditions encountered in emergency situations. ExtremV ensures exceptional terrain accessibility with its 4×4 capability and low ground pressure and features a differential lock to address slippery slopes and soft grounds, such as snow or swamp land. Moreover, it excels in navigating tight spaces and climbing slopes and is designed to operate in temperatures ranging from -46C to 49C. The vehicle has a high payload capacity of four to six tonnes, which makes it a crucial asset in HADR missions for transporting aid, equipment and personnel. Its amphibious capability enhances its versatility, while the modular payload accommodates various mission requirements.
The European: Where has the vehicle been deployed so far?
Chua Jin Kiat: ExtremV was recently deployed in Mexico, but also in Japan for their hurricane relief, flood and earthquake rescue missions. It has also been deployed in Germany and Finland for forest fire fighting, off-road power transmission lines, gas pipeline repair and inspection.
The European: Do you also propose training in the area of HADR?
Chua Jin Kiat: Yes, we introduced the Emergency Response Driving Simulator, an innovative simulation training tool. It offers high-fidelity and realistic virtual training experiences for various types of response vehicles, such as ambulances and fire engines. By using this advanced technology, emergency responders can enhance their skills and readiness to effectively navigate challenging scenarios, ultimately improving their ability to respond to emergencies with precision and confidence.
The European: And how do you ensure reliable communications when a disaster strikes?
Chua Jin Kiat: Through our satellite communications ground systems technology, reliable satellite links can be set up quickly anywhere in the world in a flexible, scalable and efficient manner. Our multiservice satcom platform allows emergency and disaster recovery teams to access a communications network over satellite from the early stages after the disaster, up to the restoration of the terrestrial communication infrastructure. Mission-critical communication lines over satellite are also available at all times without service interruption or loss of data, thanks to our auto-adaptive modulation technology inside our modems.
The European: All of this can only work if digital communication is protected. What expertise does your company have in cyber resilience?
Chua Jin Kiat: Indeed, cyber threats are ever-present, extending even onto the battlefield. At ST Engineering, we offer a comprehensive suite of solutions designed to fortify networks, critical infrastructure, and systems against evolving threats. Our services and solutions cover cryptography, cybersecurity engineering, digital authentication, SCADA protection, audit and compliance. We also design and build security operation centres for cybersecurity professionals and manage security services customers in national, government, and critical information infrastructures and commercial enterprises.
The European: What kind of training do you offer in this field?
Chua Jin Kiat: For cyber threats, we have a robust regime to increase employee awareness and fortify our cyber defences, including annual e-learning courses and phishing email campaigns. We also offer cybersecurity training through our Cybersecurity Academy (STECA) established in 2014. STECA has certified and trained more than 2,000 cybersecurity professionals from over 150 organisations.
The European: The maritime industry has experienced a notable increase in risks and complexities, including piracy, smuggling, terrorism, and accidents occurring at ports and on the high seas. Could you share more on ST Engineering’s maritime safety and security solutions?
Chua Jin Kiat: In response to these challenges, our comprehensive suite of maritime safety and security solutions provides surveillance, situational awareness, collision avoidance detection, and anti-piracy measures for both maritime and coastal domains. Using advanced technologies, including smart mobility tracking, video and behaviour analytics, and our proprietary Track-Before-Detect technology for detecting small targets at sea, our solutions empower stakeholders with actionable intelligence to mitigate such risks and enhance security measures. We also design, build, and offer through-life support from repair, maintenance to retrofitting and upgrading for a wide range of naval ships suited for maritime security, HADR and specialised missions.
The European: Mr Chua, thank you for the time you gave for this conversation.
