Underwater vehicle trials near Hantu and Semakau in Jan 09

These are being conducted near Pulau Hantu and the natural shores on Pulau Semakau in January.
What's going on?

Environmental Sampling and Acoustic Experiments at the Selat Pauh Anchorage
from Port Marine Notice No. 01 of 2009 dated 2 Jan 08

With effect from 07 Jan 2009 to 23 Jan 2009, 0800 to 1700 hours daily excluding Saturdays and Sundays, at Selat Pauh Anchorage (See above plan)

There will be measurements of ocean water and sea-bottom properties by unmanned vehicles and surface craft. The unmanned craft will be operating in a 500m radius of the work boats. Acoustic communication tests will also be carried out in the working area. A safety boat will be in attendance during the entire period of experiment
at the anchorage. Further enquiries relating to the project can be directed to Ms Regina
Chan, the project coordinator, at Tel 9835 1615 or email: regina@smart.mit.edu

There were earlier MPA notices about underwater vehicle trials in the same vicinity in Jun-Jul 08 and Sep 08. Although at that time, the working area was somewhat different.From the SMART website:

SMART is the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centre, "a major new research enterprise in Singapore established by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) of Singapore."

Among the SMART projects is the Center for Environmental Sensing and Modeling (CENSAM) a center of research excellence in the area of environmental sensing and modelling, established within SMART. The CENSAM’s project aim is to provide proof-of-concept for pervasive monitoring and multi-scale modeling of the ocean, land and atmosphere.

From the CENSAM website
One of the research projects is Marine & Underwater Sensing which includes this project:

Map-Based Navigation for Autonomous Marine Systems

This project focuses autonomous monitoring and surveying the Singapore Harbor area, using surface and underwater vehicles. The system of multiple agents will be capable of individual as well as coordinated actions relative to feature maps, and adaptive sampling, and will interface with new acoustic communication and navigation systems. Further, the vehicles will host advanced sensors such as millimeter-wave radar and imaging sonar, and provide ocean deployment opportunities for sensors and other devices being developed by CENSAM colleagues. We are exploring broader opportunities in marine vehicles technology, including ultrasonic propulsion.

Autonomous Underwater and Sea Surface Vehicles