SINGAPORE — A floating radar-equipped balloon tethered to land, that can scan Singapore’s seas and skies for threats, has landed here. Shaped like a plane, the 55m-long Aerostat can provide 24/7 radar coverage of up to 200km.

The latest tool of the Republic of Singapore Air Force complements existing sensors that help to identify aerial and maritime threats. Singapore depends on layers of defence and has put in place ground-based radar sensors and air-based sensors, such as on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and surveillance planes, over the years, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen on Tuesday (Nov 29).

Ground radar may be blocked by high-rise buildings, while it is difficult for UAVs to constantly be airborne. The aerostat, with an operating height of 600m, solves these problems.

“I call it … the RSAF biggie,” quipped Dr Ng, who was at Choa Chu Kang camp on Tuesday to observe testing of the Aerostat. As an island state, Singapore is vulnerable to threats from air and sea, he said, pointing to the 9/11 aeroplane attacks on New York City’s Twin Towers in 2001 and the 2008 Mumbai attacks, where terrorists came by boat.

The Aerostat has been tested elsewhere, and will be tested at various heights here over the next few months to ensure that it is operational. The balloon, made up of layers including polyester cloth, Tedlar film and Mylar film, requires eight ground crew to operate. Its tether is made of Kevlar and can withstand strong winds and lightning strikes. 

Radiation from the radar equipment will be no more than that of mobile phones, said the Ministry of Defence (Mindef). 

Asked about the delay in the Aerostat’s deployment — made by TCOM of the United States and which was to have been launched early last year — Dr Ng said it was not needed urgently as the main layer of defence, and the authorities wanted to be “doubly sure” that it was going to be safe.

Other security agencies that make use of aerostats include the US Customs and Border Protection Agency, said Mindef.

One moment you’re leaping from cover to cover as you evade a fire-breathing demon.

The next, you are pushing a broken down car along a desert road as the soul standard Stand By Me floats through the air.

Moments later, you are deemed bankrupt and sent to take out clusters of scorpion-like monsters in order to repay a debt.

Welcome to Final Fantasy XV – or FFXV for short.

Yes, that’s 15 Finals, which could cause trading standards to raise an eyebrow.

• TNP Tech Tries: Final Fantasy XV review

And this has been a highly-anticipated instalment, one decade in the making.

Finally, Square Enix’s latest sprawling brainchild is finally hitting stores on today (Nov 29).

This reporter (and for full disclosure, an ardent fan of the series) visited the Sony Interactive Entertainment office last week to try out the game on the Playstation 4.

Now this is the part that can lose the casual observer, but bear with it.

FFXV is set in the fictional world of Eos, where you control Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum, heir to the Kingdom of Lucis, as you travel with three companions – Gladiolus Amicitia, Ignis Scientia and Prompto Argentum. They should give a prize to anyone able to pronounce those name perfectly on first go – or at all.

You and your trio of unpronouncables journey to meet your bride-to-be. A classic case of get the girl, kill the baddies?

Well, things go hideously wrong during the journey as Noctis learns that his father – the king – is killed, sending the world into turmoil.

So Noctis and his friends have to travel through war-torn Eos, allowing you the player to experience an stunning open-world environment where you can play at your own pace.

EXPLORATION

The is the game equivalent of a free-and-easy holiday. Choose to either blitz through the main storyline or take your time by indulging in the side quests. Or even go sightseeing in the majestically vast world where monsters roam.

Either way, the pain of travelling from one end to another is made smoother and simpler by Noctis’ car, The Regalia.

You can drive the car yourself or get Ignis to do it – allowing you (the player not the character) to take a much-needed toilet or snack break.

Just be careful about wandering during the night as daemons can suddenly spawn and are ridiculously powerful. (This refers to you the character, not real life).

BATTLE SYSTEM

Unlike its previous editions, FFXV’s battles – using its Active Cross Battle system – will be real time, and you enter battles instantaneously without transition screens.

Combat now resembles closer to hack-and-slash games such as Devil May Cry, but charging into battle furiously mashing your controller buttons will not get you far.

There’s a degree of strategy to be employed.

For example, take advantage of Noctis’ special ability – the warp strike – which allows him to teleport short distances and strike your foe.

This means that in battle you could teleport to higher ground before warping behind an enemy to inflict more damage.

While you only control Noctis during most of the game, in battle, you can combine with his teammates to execute special combos.

You will be ranked for your offense, defence and stealth performances after each fight.

The higher the grade, the more ability points (AP) you earn to level up. Speaking of which…

LEVELLING UP

This is done via an ability tree – Something fans of FFXIII will be familiar with – using AP accumulated from battles, conversations and actions.

While each character has his own skill tree, all of your team’s AP is stored collectively, but be sure to even out the distribution.

MAGIC

Final Fantasy isn’t complete without the magical elements.

This time, magic has to be harvested and stored in a flask before it can be equipped on a character as a spell.

Spell-crafting can be quite interesting as you mix different elements, and even add items, to make them more powerful.

SIDE QUESTS

FFXV also features a plethora of side quests that allow you to spend even more time in this unreal world, rather than the real one where you have to get up in the morning.

And there are plenty of opportunities, not always signposted. Just a casual stroll around the first chapter opened up various monster hunts and even fishing (yes, literally fishing).

It can be as easy as talking to various non-player characters. So it can pay to be sociable.

THROWBACK

The Final Fantasy series is renowned for its throwbacks to previous editions, appealing to its long-time fans.

Familiar names, such as Cid, and the giant chicken-like Chocobos are part of FFXV.

Taking a cue from the Grand Theft Auto series, each station on your car’s stereo allows you to hear a different FF soundtrack.

On this excursion through Eos, the track J-E-N-O-V-A from FFVII was on heavy repeat.

WRITER’S VERDICT

The game starts slowly, or at least I did. It took almost three hours to complete the first of 15 chapters. But it gets better as you go on.

While initially sceptical of the characters – with their gladiator-like names and K-pop boyband looks, I soon appreciated the team’s dynamic.

The revamped battle system will have you thinking on your feet – and then thinking again. It requires you to always have a plan because you can forget about getting by with mindless button mashing here.

Most importantly, it’s impossible not to be amazed by the scale of Eos and what lies beyond the horizon for Noctis and gang.

A game to lose yourself in and book time off work for.

RATING: 9/10

AVAILABLE ON: Playstation 4, Xbox One

PRICE: $84.90 on the Playstation Store

PHOTO COURTESY OF SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT

SINGAPORE: Singapore students are the world’s best in mathematics and science, according to an international benchmarking study released on Tuesday (Nov 29). 

Primary 4 and Secondary 2 students here topped both subjects in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), which assessed pupils from 63 other education systems around the world.

Not only are Singapore students scoring well in those subjects, they also have more positive attitudes towards learning and are immersed in condusive learning environments, the survey found.

About 6,500 Primary 4 students and 6,100 Secondary 2 students – all randomly selected from across all schools in Singapore – took part in the latest study which has been conducted every four years since 1995.

At the Primary 4 level for instance, for mathematics, students here achieved the highest average score of 618. Hong Kong came in second with 615 followed by South Korea with 608. The same students got the highest average score of 590 for science, ahead of South Korea (589) and Japan (569).

Sample of a Primary 4 Science item at the “high” benchmark. 

The findings also showed improvements by Singapore students over the years, especially in higher-order thinking skills.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) said: “This reflects our curricular shifts towards a greater emphasis on such thinking skills over the years.” Going forward, MOE will put greater focus on critical thinking skills in examinations. 

“It’s not about making exams harder, it’s about whether the exams test the skills that we want our students to develop,” said Ms Low Khah Gek, deputy director-general of education (schools).  “So in this case, we do want our students to be able to think critically, and also to be able to explain their thinking.”

MOE credited the students’ positive learning attitudes to the learning environment both at home and in school, adding that more than eight in 10 students in Primary 4 and Secondary 2 said that their math and science teachers are clear in their expectations, are good at explaining concepts, and listen to their views. 

The global study also revealed that the Singapore education system supports students across all achievement levels, MOE said. The proportion of Primary 4 and Secondary 2 students who did not attain the lowest international benchmark remained very small in both subjects, and below the international median. 

One per cent of Primary 4 students in Singapore who took part in the study did not attain the “low” international benchmark in mathematics, while 3 per cent did not attain that benchmark in science. This is compared to the international median of 7 per cent and 5 per cent respectively. 

Sample of a Primary 4 Maths item at the “low” benchmark. 

For the Secondary 2 level, 1 percent did not attain the “low” international benchmark in mathematics and 3 per cent did not attain the benchmark in science. This is compared to the international median of 16 per cent for both subjects. 

“We are proud of our students,” said Ms Low. “Our teachers have provided quality learning experiences for them, and we are heartened that our teaching and learning systems are strong.”

She added that schools will continue to work closely with parents and the larger community “to further build on our students’ strong foundation and prepare them well for their next stage of education and for a fulfilling career ahead.”