SINGAPORE — An unmanned vessel that can detect mines, patrol the country’s waters and even chase after suspicious boats. Futuristic as it may sound, the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is looking into making such a vessel a reality.

The Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) aims to make more efficient use of manpower, while performing tasks that would usually involve high risks, such as detecting mines underwater.

Integrated with advanced sensors and software, a USV is able to automatically alter its course and speed to avoid collision, and can travel at speeds of up to 40 knots.

One such USV that the Navy is working on, the Venus 16, was featured during Exercise Highcrest 2015, that started on Monday (Nov 2) and will end tomorrow.

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Over 900 participants from 15 agencies — such as the Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Police Force, Singapore Civil Defence Force, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Singapore Customs, and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore — took part in the maritime security exercise that involved intercepting a “hijacked” merchant vessel.

During the exercise, which was organised by the Singapore Maritime Crisis Centre (SMCC), the Venus 16 was used to chase after suspicious vessels to keep its occupants preoccupied until help, in the form of the Police Coast Guard’s high-speed interceptor boats, arrived.

Still on trial, the Venus 16 can be fitted with different equipment, when the need arises, to enable it to respond better to a given situation.

For example, while it would normally be fitted with a sensor that can cover up to 60 metres when surveying waters closer to Singapore’s shores, that sensor could be replaced with a more powerful one if the USV is used further out at sea.

Commander of the Maritime Security Task Force, Rear Admiral Frederick Chew Chih Chiang, said the Navy is looking into exploring unmanned technology in the future “to see how far we can push the boundaries”.

He described the USV as a reflection of the Navy’s plans to use such technology to “complement ... manned platforms”.

“Technology is vital in maritime security. We want to do things sharper, we want to do things smarter and we want to do things with less resources.”

RADM Chew added that moving forward, the SMCC would focus on sense-making, operational planning and coordination, and capability development in order to strengthen Singapore’s maritime security.