SINGAPORE — Asian nations are expanding their use of counter-drone systems for military use amid the increasing prevalence of unmanned aerial vehicles crossing shared borders, and companies in the U.S. and Singapore are looking to meet demand.
Governments in the region have been using counter-drone technologies for almost a decade for security, but the recent increase in unauthorized, cross-border UAV traffic and the daily examples of drone combat on display in Ukraine and the Middle East are prompting many Asian countries to step up development of their unmanned warfare capabilities.
TRD Systems
TRD Systems, a local company, unveiled its counter-drone gun at the Singapore Airshow. It’s among the technologies chosen by the Canadian government to send with its armed forces in Latvia, where threats include a mix of commercial and bespoke kamikaze drones, CEO Sam Ong said.
“No matter what drone they use, they will use satellites, and our drone gun can cover all of these systems and cut off their signal,” he said. “It’s not about how big or small drones are, as long as it depends on satellites, we can stop it.”
The company is providing counter-drone systems to all 11 countries in Southeast Asia. While Thailand is a major market, recent years saw an upsurge in sales from Vietnam and Cambodia, Ong said.
Last year, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered the deployment of troops and counter-drone systems on its northern border after reports of drone incursions allegedly flown by insurgents in Vietnam.
In Thailand, the Royal Thai Armed Forces mapped out early this year a series of joint training exercises with the Royal Thai Police focused on counter-drone technology and intelligence gathering.