Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Singapore-based start-up The Kinetic Option (TKO) to jointly develop advanced unmanned maritime drones for the Singapore Armed Forces.
Announced on the sidelines of IMDEX Asia 2025, this marks TKO’s first foray into defence and is part of DSTA’s ongoing efforts to collaborate with innovative commercial partners. The partnership will draw on TKO’s expertise in high-speed, electric-powered platforms alongside DSTA’s systems engineering expertise.
Together, the two organisations will co-develop a next-generation modular unmanned maritime drone platform designed for rapid adaptation across a wide range of mission scenarios. Engineers from both teams will work closely together on research, development, testing and evaluation.
“As technology evolves rapidly, working with agile partners like TKO allows us to tap their innovative spirit and explore novel ways of developing solutions for defence needs,” said DTSA Naval Systems Director Ong Li Koon. “This partnership reflects how non-traditional collaborations can contribute to strengthening our defence capabilities and supports the co-development of modular, cost-effective systems that can evolve with future mission demands.”
“Modular and autonomous platforms have the potential to transform how industries operate and shape future approaches to defence,” said TKO CEO Daniel He. “Our partnership with DSTA allows us to tap into their deep experience in the defence sector while providing cost-efficient, rapidly adaptable and user-friendly platforms that have been rigorously tested.”
