New Zealand-headquartered Syos Aerospace is aiming to introduce its new SM1000 uncrewed patrol vessel by the end of this year, as it expands its portfolio of unmanned maritime systems.
Measuring 11.5m long, the SM1000 is designed for persistent maritime surveillance. It has an operational range of around 1,200nm, and an endurance of up to two months at sea.
Sam Vye, Syos Aerospace Founder and CEO, acknowledged the increasingly competitive uncrewed systems market, but he said the company’s advantage lies in its ability to integrate capabilities across air, surface and subsurface domains.
Syos develops uncrewed aerial and underwater systems in-house, which can then be paired with the SM1000 to deliver a more comprehensive surveillance solution.
Vye added that the company’s platforms are priced significantly below comparable European and US systems, largely due to its vertically integrated production model. “We vertically integrate any area where there’s no local supply chain or affordable access to components and subsystems,” he said.
The company leverages rotational moulding techniques to scale production, with capacity to produce up to four 6m SM600 hulls per day, for example.
Syos has already secured sales traction. In February the New Zealand Defence Force announced the acquisition of several of its systems, including the SG400 unmanned ground vehicle, SM300 USV, SA2 reconnaissance drone and SA7 one-way effector.
Vye was in Singapore as part of a wider New Zealand delegation led by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, and he is seeking further opportunities in Southeast Asia’s archipelagic environment.
“The lessons from Ukraine are clear: rapid capability development, affordable mass and more persistent sensing – more eyes in the sky and on the water,” he said.
“With the geography of Southeast Asia, deploying large numbers of low-cost, uncrewed systems can significantly enhance maritime domain awareness, deterrence and, if required, operational effect.”
Both Singapore and New Zealand have signalled interest in deeper collaboration on uncrewed technologies. During the visit, Luxon toured Changi Naval Base, where he was briefed on the Republic of Singapore Navy’s uncrewed surface vessel programmes.
by Chen Chuanren
