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Kolette Lim

Singapore’s plan to trial weaponised unmanned drones has put a spotlight on Southeast Asia’s fast-growing interest in systems that can track and strike at targets without putting operators directly in harm’s way.
But as countries race to upgrade their drone and counter-drone capabilities, analysts say regulation, transparency and confidence-building will be crucial to prevent accidents or miscalculations that could fuel regional tensions.
Singapore announced on Thursday that it would start trialling weaponised unmanned systems in the coming months.
Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam said Singapore’s security agencies had been adapting technology in their operations for some years.
Asked whether growing threats made such technologies more urgent, Shanmugam said hostile actors around the world were also adapting their methods.
“You see that people who want to do you harm. You see it around the world,” he said during his visit to the police coastguard’s Brani base. “The kind of technologies they use, and the threat of terrorism, attacks, and so on, have been there, and I would say, are increasing.”
He added that Singapore’s Home Team had been moving in this direction “for some years now”, because of manpower shortages and technological change.
“We need to access and get on top of technology,” he said.

The new technology was a “quantum upgrade”, said Shanmugam, who said the drones could potentially eliminate armed perpetrators hiding behind barricades, a task currently carried out by officers who faced significant risks.
Singapore, a significant maritime hub, had long been preparing training for hostage-taking and other situations involving hostile vessels, he added.
Other Southeast Asian countries have also been upgrading their drone and counter-drone systems.
While drones were traditionally used for surveillance and information collection, Singapore’s recent trial reflected a regional shift towards operational and weaponised roles, said Chong De Xian, associate research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies’ Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies.
Drones were now being considered not only for surveillance, but also as tools for tactical support, counter-drone operations or armed systems, he said.
Southeast Asia’s geography – expansive maritime spaces, porous borders, difficult terrain and crowded operating environments – made drones especially useful, Chong added.
Last month, Malaysia unveiled a high-speed interceptor drone designed to neutralise hostile drones.
On Saturday, units from the Philippine Army took part in a drone-racing drill to help its personnel adapt to the rapidly advancing technology.
Major General Ramon Zagala said: “Drone technology is already here. Future wars will be fought with it, and our ability to harness it will provide a differentiation. If we [do] not adapt, we will fail.”

Drone warfare lessons
These developments likely reflect Southeast Asian nations taking stock of recent global conflicts, which have heavily featured drone warfare, according to analysts.
The Russia-Ukraine war and conflict in the Middle East showcased the low risks and costs of deploying these unmanned aircraft, key incentives for regional countries struggling with tightening budgets and manpower shortages, they said.
Tehran has retaliated with thousands of Shahed drones since the US and Israel launched their attack on Iran in February. The drones, which the Centre for Strategic and International Studies has estimated to cost around US$35,000 each, carry an explosive payload that detonates on impact.
These drones are the same type that Russia has fired by the tens of thousands since the start of its war with Ukraine in 2022. Kyiv has also fired drones that damaged Moscow’s oil refineries and military facilities in recent months.
These conflicts, coupled with regional skirmishes such as the dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, have highlighted the advantages of such unmanned vehicles and prompted Southeast Asian countries to accelerate the development of their drone and counter-drone technologies, according to analysts.
“Because they are cheap to build, militaries are less worried about losing them, and this is especially true for those used at the tactical level,” said Miguel Alberto Gomez, a senior research fellow at the Centre on Asia and Globalisation in the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
“When they are damaged or destroyed, you only lose a machine, and the pilot still gets to go home for dinner.”

Chong said drones were emerging as a compelling option for defence planners as the region’s security environment became more contested. “Drones are attractive because they can operate in grey-zone situations where governments may want to monitor or respond without immediately deploying larger manned platforms.”
But these systems come with downsides. Apart from being vulnerable to cyberattacks, jamming and spoofing, drones might fail in their mission should the connection to their operator be cut off, said Liu Mei Ching, associate research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies’ Military Transformations Programme.
Operators might also be targeted, she added, noting that recent conflicts had shown how combatants developed capabilities to trace drone control signals.
Southeast Asian states should establish partnerships with private companies, start-ups and academia to ensure that their drone models remain relevant and are not rendered obsolete by counter-drone systems, according to Liu.
“The procurement, adoption, and integration of a military system or weapon can be a long process, so it is crucial for countries to consider ways in which they can adapt faster,” she said.

Transparency and regional cooperation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last September that cheap drones could now create “dead zones – areas stretching for dozens of kilometres where nothing moves, no vehicles, no life”.
He warned that the world was living through the “most destructive arms race in human history”, driven by the integration of AI.
While drone technology in Southeast Asia was still in its infancy, its proliferation was inevitable, said analysts, who called for regional cooperation and confidence-building.
Alberto said the region was still in the experimental phase of learning about and acquiring these systems, with no country emerging as ahead of the pack yet. “Some may have better economic resources or institutional flexibility to adapt to the changing environment, like Singapore, but even in their case, it’s still a learning process,” he said.
A regional arms race fuelled by drones has yet to emerge, according to Alberto.
Liu said, however, that with the deployment of artificial intelligence capabilities in recent conflicts, wider adoption of the technology and drones by Southeast Asian countries was “only a matter of time”.
In March, the Royal Thai Army unveiled a fleet of AI-embedded suicide and bomber drones, meant to eliminate the threat of jamming and complete flights even if their signals were severed.
According to local media, the drones, which cost 500,000 baht (US$15,300) each, were introduced as critical weaponry for operations along the Thai-Cambodian border.

Analysts have urged countries to be transparent about the adoption of drones and AI, warning of potential diplomatic conflicts arising from a lack of communication.
Individual governments should be clear on the purpose of drone technologies, and states should engage in frequent exchanges on practices and incident-management procedures at a regional level, Chong said.
Last year, Asean member states adopted a statement to deepen AI-related cooperation in the defence sector, committing to the responsible use of the technology.
“In disputed maritime spaces, border areas, or sensitive domestic security operations, a drone incident could quickly become a sovereignty or diplomatic issue,” Chong said. “The incorporation of drones and AI-enabled systems should be treated as a governance challenge, rather than only a capability upgrade.”


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Singapore’s weaponised drone trial spotlights regional rush for unmanned systems

A US Navy drone parks beside a Philippine C130 plane at the airport of Zamboanga, southern Philippines last year. Photo: AP

A drone flies along Singapore’s coastal waters in April. Photo: AFP 

A drone launched during Balikatan, the annual joint military drills between the US and the Philippines, in San Antonio, Zambales, Philippines, in April. Photo: Reuters

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An Emirates aircraft prepares to land as a smoke plume rises near Dubai International Airport in March after a drone attack amid the Middle East conflict. Photo:  AFP

Malaysian police officers use a drone to remind citizens to stay at home during the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. Southeast Asian nations are using drones beyond surveillance for defence deployment. Photo: Reuters

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Malaysian army officers visit the booth of Special Technology Control, a Russian developer of unmanned systems, at the Defence Services Asia exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Tuesday. Photo: EPA

A “500H” high-performance helicopter drone developed by UAE-based Resource Industries on display at the Defence Services Asia exhibition 2026. Photo: Joseph Sipalan

A Ukrainian air defence system in Kyiv intercepts what the military said was a “kamikaze” Shahed drone launched by Russia in May 2023. Photo: AP 

A military micro-surveillance drone developed by China’s Huaqing Innovation is demonstrated at the Defence Services Asia exhibition in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: EPA

The “Kargu”, Turkish UAV maker STM’s best-selling drone, on display at the Defence Services Asia exhibition. Photo: Joseph Sipalan 

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Philippine navy sailors stand on the deck of BRP Miguel Malvar, a corvette acquired from South Korea, in Subic town, Zambales province, north of Manila, in April last year. Photo: AFP/Handout/Philippine Navy-Public Affairs Office

Philippine Navy’s special operations personnel march during a parade to mark Independence Day in Manila on June 12, 2025. Photo: AFP

A Philippine Navy AW159 Wildcat helicopter on the helipad of the BRP Jose Rizal frigate during a drill involving the Philippine, Australian and Canadian navies near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea last year. Photo: AFP 

Japan plans island drone deployment to monitor Chinese naval activity

Japan plans to deploy MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones on Chichijima and Iwo Jima. Photo: Handout

A Chinese navy vessel sails in the Sea of Japan in April amid bilateral tensions. Photo: Japan’s Ministry of Defence

An MQ-9 Reaper seen parked at Rafael Hernandez Airport in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Photo: Reuters

Ukrainian servicemen practise flying drones at an undisclosed location in March amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Photo: AFP

Indonesia’s oil hub plan collides with Asean’s trust deficit

Oil tankers and cargo ships are seen at the oil depot and container terminal of Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, Indonesia, on March 31. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

Vessels are seen anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, off the port city of Khasab, Oman, on Sunday. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

A rickshaw driver pedals past a welcome sign for the 32nd Asean Economic Ministers Meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2000. Photo: AP

A view of the International Energy Agency’s logo at its headquarters in Paris, France. Most of the IEA’s members are European countries. Photo: Reuters

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As Southeast Asian militaries adopt cheap, lethal systems, experts warn a lack of established rules could prove dangerous


As Southeast Asian militaries adopt cheap, lethal systems, experts warn a lack of established rules could prove dangerous.


Singapore’s weaponised drone trial spotlights regional rush for unmanned systems

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}As Southeast Asian militaries adopt cheap, lethal systems, experts warn a lack of established rules could prove dangerous

As Southeast Asian militaries adopt cheap, lethal systems, experts warn a lack of established rules could prove dangerous