From left to right: Lim Nian Hua, Deputy President, ST Engineering Marine Limited; AC Ryan Ong, Commander, SCDF Marine Division; Dr Daniel Teo, Director RAUS CoE, HTX; and Wong Fook Mun, Deputy General Manager, Unmanned & Integrated Systems/Digital Systems, ST Engineering officially launch the RAPID XIPHIAS. (Photo: ST Engineering)
HTX’s efforts to develop cutting-edge capabilities for SCDF’s next generation of firefighting vessels received a boost with the launch of the RAPID XIPHIAS, a new Firefighting (FiFi) Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) testbed, at ST Engineering’s Benoi shipyard on 4 July 2025.
HTX will deploy the RAPID XIPHIAS for at-sea validation trials of advanced capabilities including:
- Enhanced firefighting capabilities with VA-enabled hotspot detection
- Advanced underwater search enhanced with autonomy
- Unmanned HazMat detection
- Remote lifebuoy deployment
- Autonomous navigation customised for Singapore’s busy maritime traffic
The RAPID XIPHIAS in the water. (Photo: ST Engineering)
The RAPID XIPHIAS, which was developed following a collaboration between HTX, SCDF, and ST Engineering, will also serve as a platform to refine and sharpen Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for unmanned surface vessels used in the SCDF Marine Division's maritime firefighting missions.
Lim Nian Hua, Deputy President, ST Engineering Marine Limited (front row, fourth from left); AC Ryan Ong, Commander, SCDF Marine Division (front row, fifth from left); Dr Daniel Teo, Director RAUS CoE, HTX (front row, sixth from left); and Wong Fook Mun, Deputy General Manager, Unmanned & Integrated Systems/Digital Systems, ST Engineering (front row, seventh from left) with members of the RAPID XIPHIAS team. (Photo: ST Engineering)
Ho Choon Chuin, Deputy Director, Maritime Systems, Robotics, Automation & Unmanned Systems (RAUS) Centre of Expertise (CoE), shared, “HTX is delighted with the launch of the RAPID XIPHIAS and will be working alongside the SCDF Marine Division and ST Engineering to transform maritime emergency response operations.”
“Through the follow-on trials, the aim is to mature the USV technologies and enhance the SCDF Marine Division's capabilities. I look forward to this vessel being our pathfinder in expanding the possibilities and charting the future of life-saving operations at sea,” he added.
From left to right: Benson Heah, Lead Engineer, Maritime Systems, RAUS CoE; Dr Daniel Teo, Director, RAUS CoE; Davis Tan, Engineer, Maritime Systems, RAUS CoE; Ho Choong Chuin, Deputy Director, Maritime Systems, RAUS CoE; and Edwin Wu, Lead Engineer, Maritime Systems, RAUS CoE. (Photo: ST Engineering)
