The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has awarded France-based defense-aerospace giant Thales a contract to develop a national Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) system.

In a statement on Tuesday, Thales said a consortium led by Thales with Singapore-based technology company Deeeplabs will deliver the project. Deeeplabs will support the deployment and operational services for the project, combining local digital capabilities with Thales’ aviation expertise. The collaboration aims to improve the approval and monitoring of drone operations in Singapore, Thales added.

The system will feature Thales’ TopSky-AstraUTM platform and can provide a single digital portal for managing unmanned aircraft operations across Singapore’s airspace. Thales said the platform can support secure and scalable drone traffic management while maintaining aviation safety standards.

The platform will streamline application and approval processes for drone operators while improving situational awareness and oversight as the number of drone operations grows, Thales highlighted.

The UTM system is expected to support drone-related activities across sectors including logistics, infrastructure inspection, maritime operations, emergency response and urban mobility. The system includes functions such as drone and operator registration, digital flight planning and authorization, and real-time monitoring of unmanned aircraft activity, according to Thales.

The contract follows Thales’ integration of the AstraUTM platform into its portfolio in 2024 and its deployment in multiple countries as part of the company’s broader unmanned traffic management and advanced air mobility business.

Thales has more than 85,000 employees in 65 countries. In 2025, the Group generated sales of €22.1 billion ($25.7 billion). The aerospace giant allocates €4.5 billion per year in research & development, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Quantum and Cloud technologies.

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