Roy Chan to succeed Ng Chad-Son as DSTA chief executive

Roy Chan to succeed Ng Chad-Son as DSTA chief executive SINGAPORE: Mr Roy Chan will take over from Mr Ng Chad-Son as chief executive of the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) from Sep 1, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said on Thursday (Jul 30). Mr Ng will be appointed as Permanent Secretary of National Research and Development and Public Sector Science and Technology Policy and Plans Office at the Prime Minister’s Office, and concurrently Permanent Secretary (Defence Development) at MINDEF from Sep 1. Mr Chan, 52, has been DSTA’s deputy chief executive of operations since Feb 15, 2021. He joined the Defence Technology Community in 1998 and has deep experience in systems engineering and architecting, large-scale programme management and systems interoperability, MINDEF said. Mr Chan was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 2022 and was conferred the “Knight of the National Order of Merit” by the French government in 2025. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the Victoria University of Manchester and a Master of Science from Naval Postgraduate School. CONTRIBUTIONS TO DSTA Mr Ng, 51, has served as the chief executive of DSTA since May 15, 2024. “Under his leadership, DSTA delivered significant defence capabilities for MINDEF and the Singapore Armed Forces,” MINDEF said. This includes the Invincible-class submarines, Multi-Role Combat Vessels, Titan Infantry Fighting Vehicles and the expansion of Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Australia. “Notably, he advanced transformational developments such as drones, robotics, counter-drone systems, and artificial intelligence,” the ministry added. Mr Ng also broadened Singapore’s defence science and technology partnerships with international counterparts and strengthened DSTA's innovation capacity, MINDEF said. “Throughout his tenure, he championed a culture of innovation and collaboration, and prioritised people development to build a future-ready workforce.” The ministry expressed its deep appreciation to Mr Ng for his distinguished service and invaluable contributions to MINDEF, SAF, DSTA and the Defence Technology Community.