January 27, 2025
SINGAPORE – Wearing wetsuits and using Libazars, four divers calmly slipped into the water with submachine guns and a device shaped like a large vacuum cleaner. They were on a mission to rescue the captain and crew of a faraway ship.
The divers were members of the Singapore Police and Coast Guard (PCG) elite Special Task Squadron (STS). He had been activated when the ship’s captain made a distress call after two armed pirates boarded the ship in Singapore waters.
The ship’s crew managed to hide, but the captain was “held hostage” in the ship’s engine room.
The pirates roaming the upper deck of the ship appeared to have high ground.
However, STS operators did not go “blind”, as demonstrated in a demonstration to the media on January 22 at the PCG’s Brani regional base.
They were supported by other STS operators who deployed Diodon, a rugged amphibious drone.
Members of the Police Coast Guard Special Tasks Squadron throw a Diodon drone into the water during media
Demonstration photo from January 22nd: The Straits Times
Designed with two floating elements, the 2kg drone is unsinkable and even if it lands upside down in the ocean, it can be maneuvered to right up and fly away.
The simulated pirate boarding took place on the Boarding and Search Trainer, a training platform for PCG officers in the shape of a large ship.
As the divers advanced into the water, the gray Diodon approached the fixed ship and had a better view of the “pirate” activities.
The French-made Diodon drone, which has a range of around 4 km, is being touted as a “significant advancement” for maritime law enforcement and security operations and is aimed at increasing STS capabilities.
According to the company’s website, Diodon’s systems and technology are used by the armies and navies of Denmark, Great Britain, France and the Netherlands.
The sharp, real-time footage provided by Diodon improves situational awareness and decision-making processes for STS tactical commanders. The information is then relayed to the divers.
In addition to being able to take off from the water’s surface, the Diodon drone can flip over if it lands upside down in water. Photo: Age of Straits
With the help of Diodon during a media demonstration on January 22nd, STS divers were able to emerge undetected on the side of the ship’s hull.
The drone is currently being evaluated by the Home Team Science and Technology Agency’s Center of Expertise in Robotics, Automation and Unmanned Systems (HTX RAUS COE).
Another new piece of specialized equipment – a vacuum cleaner-type device called a spider – is currently being used during the operation.
Diodon drones enhance real-time aerial surveillance, while Spyder Hull climbing robots help with tactical ship boarding and hideout insertion.
Police Commissioner Lee Ting Wei, PCG’s head of operations and security, said STS leverages technology and innovation to conduct maritime special operations under challenging conditions.
“These devices allow ST to gain tactical advantages to improve the safety and success of complex and dangerous maritime special operations,” he said.
The Spyder, which weighs around 35kg, uses magnetic tracks to “walk” along the side of the ship.
The wirelessly operated spider, developed by HTX Raus Coe, took about three minutes to reach the edge of the ship’s upper deck, where it deployed a hook with a cave ladder.
Members of the Police and Coast Guard Special Tasks Squadron deploy a spider-hull climbing robot as it prepares to board a ship during a media demonstration on January 22, 2025. Photo: The Straits Times
Spider cameras allow operators to monitor hook engagement and deployment in real time, improving operational safety and providing close monitoring.
The Straits Times understands that before using the spider, secret ship boarding is more tedious and requires manual placement of hooks connected to poles on the side of the ship.
In a media demonstration, four divers surreptitiously climbed a cave ladder on the side of the ship and were able to prepare submachine guns and reorganize the upper deck.
The captain was rescued when the surprised “pirates” were subdued by the STS team.
Zaihan Mohamed Yusof is a senior crime correspondent for The Straits Times.
