Most of you may already know that HTX’s key role in society is to develop cutting-edge science and technology innovations to force multiply the Home Team and keep Singapore safe and secure.
But did you know that we also do much more than
that?
Besides coming up with new and exciting tech, HTX also works behind the scenes to ensure that Home Team assets are kept in good shape and always ready to go, and the unsung heroes behind this endeavour are none other than the Xponents
from our Capability Sustainment pillar.
Business as usual
The Home Team works round the clock to ensure public safety and security. But to do this, all assets used by the HTDs – be it vehicles, systems,
networks or buildings – need to be at their best in terms of operational availability, efficiency and effectiveness.
And that’s exactly what HTX’s Capability Sustainment teams ensure.
This is how HTX Deputy
Chief Executive of Operations Chen Yeang Tat describes Capability Sustainment:
Keeping track of the “health” of Home Team assets is no joking matter, and this is why there isn’t just one, or two, but five teams involved. Together, they serve as the guardians of the Home Team’s buildings, Information
& Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure, operations systems, and platform systems, which include vehicles and weapons.
HTX’s Capability Sustainment pillar even has a team dedicated to enterprise risk management, workplace
safety!
(Infographic: HTX)
1. Building & Infrastructure
This team develops and enhances Home Team facilities across the nation, be it on land or at sea – think maritime infrastructure such as sea-based barriers that keep intruders out.
One of its primary roles is to provide technical guidance on infrastructure design to ensure that users’ needs are met, and that Home Team buildings are as resilient and sustainable as possible.
With HTX being a tech agency, it’s no surprise that the Building & Infrastructure team often leverages technology to tackle the challenges they face. For example, they would deploy ultrasonic snake repellents at checkpoints and use drones to clean building façades!
Building & Infrastructure’s Electrical team inspecting a meter installation with users from the Singapore Police Force. (Photo: HTX/Toy Jia Ling)
Speaking of challenges, one of the biggest ones the team is currently facing is redeveloping Singapore’s well-known Woodlands Checkpoint (WCP), one of the world’s busiest land checkpoints, which handles at least 300,000 travellers a day.
To address chronic congestion issues and cater to the growing number of travellers – which is expected to hit 400,000 a day by 2050 – the team is working closely with the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and nature groups on the construction of a new extension that will significantly increase the clearance capacity for cargo and passenger vehicles, retrofitting of existing infrastructure and installation of additional clearance facilities.
2. ICT Infrastructure
An Xponent from ICT Infrastructure leads an on-site inspection of equipment at a Home Team data centre. (Photo: HTX)
Without the support of the ICT Infrastructure team, systems at Singapore’s air, land and sea checkpoints wouldn’t function, calling national emergency hotlines would get you nowhere, and data centres would not be able to operate.
By the way, these are Xponents who really know their stuff. In 2022, the ICT Infrastructure team was responsible for revamping the wide area network (WAN) encryption and routing strategy, and enhancing their network reliability and performance, for the whole of the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
Currently, they’ve just completed the provision to build a data centre to leverage HTX’s growing AI infrastructure, which will aid the creation of exciting AI products in the coming years.
3. Operations Systems
As the primary guardians of the Home Team’s data systems, Ops Systems provides swift responses to cybersecurity incidents and stays prepared for cyber threats through a range of measures, including the annual cybersecurity exercises it conducts for the whole of government (WOG).
Xponents from Ops Systems monitor the health of the Home Team’s systems at the Home Team Security Operations Centre (HTSOC). (Photo: HTX)
Such initiatives involve meticulous planning and execution and are critical for enabling all users to access the secure network, facilitating smooth communication and data transfer within the WOG.
In addition, Ops Systems is also responsible for setting up command posts across Singapore, including cross-agency command posts during major events such as the NDP. These command posts provide Home Team officers with a comprehensive overview of the situation on the ground, enabling them to respond swiftly to potential threats.
Setting up these command posts presents several challenges, particularly in establishing secure IT networks that facilitate communication between various SPF divisions. Prior to setup, the team conducts site surveys with vendors to familiarise themselves with the location and identify potential challenges that may arise, before designing and implementing technical workarounds to resolve these challenges swiftly as a team.
The job can sometimes be thankless, but it is always critical to homeland security. So, we need people who understand and appreciate how critical our role is, even when it isn’t always visible. We need people who value our mission.
4. Platform Systems
Vehicles and vessels are an indispensable part of the Home Team’s assets. After all, how else would casualties be transported to a hospital or hostile threats interdicted in Singapore’s territorial waters?
At Platform Systems, Xponents ensure that all physical assets used by the Home Team are in the right condition to support operations. (Photo: HTX)
And this is exactly why the Platform Systems team is crucial. Besides ensuring that vehicles and vessels are well-maintained and always in tip-top condition, the team also actively explores the latest technologies to find ways to augment the current fleet.
Of equal importance to ensuring the success of the Home Team’s operations, the team also manages specialised equipment such as those used by SPF and SCDF for public security, tactical operations, firefighting, medical, HAZMAT (hazardous materials) and rescue, as well as lethal and non-lethal armaments used by the SPF and the Singapore Prison Service (SPS).
5. Sustainment Transformation & Risk Management Office (STRMO)
Within five years, Xponents from the STRMO have not only built HTX’s ERM framework from scratch, but also advanced the agency from being “risk aware” to “risk enabled”.
In other words, they have managed to shift HTX from a position of being able to identify and understand risks to one that embeds risk management in all its processes for informed decision-making.
Beyond developing and implementing strategic ERM policies within HTX, STRMO also organises activities with partners like Human Resources, such as industry sharing sessions for Xponents to learn about best practices in risk management. (Photo: HTX)
Harmonising diverse perspectives and aligning operational priorities across HTX requires constant communication with every stakeholder involved, understanding their constraints and getting their buy-in. When they’re not busy doing that, the STRMO team ensures HTX’s Workplace Safety, Health and Security (WSHS) policies and safeguards are in place.
Bent on breaking convention, the team aims to transform the way Xponents learn about workplace safety through SafeXplorer, an interactive digital training programme that replicates actual HTX workspaces in immersive 3D environments.
Innovative thinking
But Capability Sustainment is not just about maintaining the status quo. At the heart of the pillar lies a common goal of driving technological innovation to achieve greater resilience and readiness in Singapore’s fast-evolving homeland security landscape.
To this end, the Capability Sustainment Innovation Day is held biennially to honour the latest innovative pitches and projects from each team. The 2024 edition was an inspiring event, with smart, scalable and sustainable technological innovations on full display.
The Capability Sustainment pillar’s biggest innovation achievement to date?
That would certainly have to be the Home Team Sustainment Centre (HTSC), a first-of-its-kind, future-ready centralised hub, that was launched in 2024 to unite and oversee all facets of the pillar’s operations.
Stay tuned for more updates on this cutting-edge facility!
