UDT Asia - Undersea Defence Technology Asia 2011

Latest Military Diving Technologies featured in UDT Asia

Equipping Asia’s navies with the latest diving technology for asymmetric warfare and operations

SINGAPORE, 17 October 2011 - Naval diving and underwater special operations is a field that is seeing increased attention and investment amongst navies in Asia. Units such as the Indonesian Navy‟s KOPASKA, the Republic of Singapore Navy‟s Naval Diving Unit (NDU), the Royal Malaysian Navy‟s PASKAL are increasingly utilising specialised equipment for conducting special operations and unconventional warfare in forward deployed positions by means of underwater insertion.

Such technologies are found in diver propulsion vehicles (DPVs) that enable the combat diver to transport himself and his equipment to the mission area quickly and covertly. It also allows the longer distances to be covered with less time exposed to cold water, resulting in less fatigue, extra endurance and an increased time available in the mission area.

With piracy and asymmetric threats on the rise in busy shipping lanes becoming a critical national security issue, navies in Asia are facing up to the challenge by bolstering their elite special operations forces with the needed technologies to combat threats. This includes a requirement for delivery vehicles that can extend the capabilities and operational radius of manned submerged special operations. Navies are also looking at a shallow water capability that can enable combat divers to engage in sub-surface insertions at their time of choosing.