According to information published by the Singapore MoD on March 2, 2022, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has acquired the Orbiter 4 Close-Range Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (CR-UAV) to further enhance the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF)'s Air Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (AISR) capabilities.

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Orbiter 4 Close-Range Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The Orbiter 4 CR-UAV, which complements the RSAF's existing fleet of UAVs, will provide the SAF and security forces with improved ground situational awareness to better protect Singapore from threats across peacetime to wartime operations.

With its smaller size, capable sensor and increased portability, the Orbiter 4 CR-UAV can operate within a wide range of operating environments, including urbanised and confined areas, to support security operations such as counter-terrorism and peacetime contingencies.

The Orbiter 4 can be employed independently or collaboratively with the existing fleet of larger UAVs for scanning of the battlefield from different altitudes, providing both a bird's eye view of the battlefield from a higher altitude and conducting in-depth surveillance of specific areas from a lower altitude.

The Orbiter 4 CR-UAV enhances operational flexibility with its lower logistical footprint, runway independence, and ability to be deployed and set up in a shorter span of time.

Orbiter 4 uses a compact internal combustion engine to support 24-hour missions, flying up to 18,000 ft above ground. It has a much larger payload capacity, carrying 12 kg, compared to 5 kilograms of its electrically powered sibling.