On the 3rd September (Thursday) at about 1000 hrs at Jurong Point, I boarded an air-conditioned bus provided free by the organizer. We were ferried in cool comfort all the way to Pasir Laba camp at Jurong which took us through to the SAFTI link bridge. This uniquely built suspension bridge has the main boom tilted at an angle and span across the Pan Island Expressway. It connects the old SAFTI to the new one and provides safe passage for the soldiers and their vehicles en-route to the training areas.
The organizers had categorised the whole show into several Worlds, Our World takes the National Service journey, where boys become soldiers and leaders ready to defend our country. The Combat World on battlefield experience! Experience the 30 simulated “war zone”and the military hardware on display at the square. The Mission World is about SAF mercy mission to aid the Tsunami disaster at Banda Aceh/Meulaboh in December 2004 when Singapore owing to close proximity was the first to respond. Our SAF sent it’s biggest ships 3 “Endurance” class Amphibious Transport Dock with heavy equipment, vehicles and relief supplies. Also twin-rotor heavy-lift Chinooks and Super Puma helicopters were sent, together with C-130 Hercules 4-engine transport dispatched a portable control tower as temporary replacement for the damage one at Banda Aceh. Also covers the mission of Peace keeping to East Timor. The Battle World is experiencing the ride in military vehicles, the Light Strike vehicles, the Bionix Infantry Fighting Vehicles and the Bronco All Terrain Carriers. The Future World covers the latest gadgets and equipment for the next generation. The Action World provided 3 action packed shows at the Parade Square, including free-fall parachutists from the popular “Red Lions” Commando team, urban operation and Military Police precision drill. And finally the Fun World catering the two passion of Singaporeans food and shopping. Super Puma helicopter provided free ride as I saw it ascending just behind of the Fun World.
The entrance to the exhibition area.
We alighted at the dropping point just near the entrance and walked a short distance to a booth to drop our lucky draw coupon and pick up some souvenir gift(badges). I crossed the road to the Combat World, the main display area where all the Singapore Armed Forces military hardware are exhibited.
Leopard 2A4 tank.
The German-built Leopard main battle tank weigh at 55 tonne, is armed with a fully stabilize 120mm smoothbore gun. The tank is powered by a turbo-charged diesel engine which allows it to reach the speed of 70 km/h. It’s multi layered armour plating provides better protection against anti-tank weapons. Germany has always been regarded for precision engineering achieving high standard from cameras to rocket technology; V1’s and V2’s. They produced excellent tanks during the second world war like the ‘Tiger’ and the ‘King Tiger’ battle tanks. They also produced the first jet-fighters the Me262 that became operational. They outmatched the best of allied piston-engine fighters; including P51 Mustangs or Supermarine Spitfires and that spell the end of propeller era for fighters. Our Leopards main battle tanks numbering some 102 will eventually replace our elderly French-built AMX-13 light tanks (modified to SM1 model). They form the 48th Battalion of the Singapore Armoured Regiment.
Terrex AV-81 Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV)
A new addition locally made (Singapore Technologies) the Terrex on display, the 3G eight-wheeler armoured personnel carrier enhanced better protection inside, provides mobility and fire power. It is an amphibian so it can swim being driven by two propellers.
The brain inside of the Terrex.
It has fully computerized system (the brains), seen here the commander networking and can issue orders to the rest of the units plugged into the Battle Field System (BMS); also for sharing info to alert them, or receiving info, images from Command & Control. The advantage is that all of this can be done like on internet, e-mailing and thereby maintaining radio silence without revealing one’s presence. The commander can manipulate the overhead remote-control turret, armed with 7.62mm co-axial machine gun and a 40mm automatic grenade-launcher from the system inside. The gun can shoot targets 800m away and fire at the rate of 350 rounds per minute. In the touch screen method, he can select; lock-on the target and fire. The screen even shows disposition of forces, friendly appears in blue icon and the enemy in red in that order it can avoid any mistakes or chances of friendly fire (killing your own side by mistake). Weighing at 24 tonnes, it can carry 13 men including the driver with the commander and has a land speed of 105 km/h. The thermal sighting system allows the driver/commander to see better, engage moving targets and improves first round ‘hit’ probability. The 'Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV)compliments the Bionix, armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) to further provide protection for troops for moving them to frontline. I asked what if the computer suffers defects owing to extreme vibrations from operating over rough terrain and the shock from the recoil when the guns being fired. The answer that the system created by our scientists from the defence company (DSTA) had perfected it. It had gone through trials and error over the years and they are ruggedly built with shock-absorbers and protective screen fit for military use; anyway it could be easily replaced. The Army has placed 300 on order.
Add-on armoured troop carrier
Another new comer is the add-on armoured troop carrier is a soft skin vehicle and most suitable for use in peace keeping role for conveying troops. It weighs around 5 tonne provides adequate protection for 60 soldiers; there are slit-holes and viewer for the troopers inside to see and fire their weapons. Of course it is safer than travelling in un-armoured open 3-tonner trucks.
Bronco 120mm Motar Tract Carrier (MTC)
Locally-built by Singapore Technologies, seen here on a portable bridge laid by a bridge-tank. It is used by the 42nd Battalion Singapore Armoured Regiment in fire support role. In 6 seconds it can load a 15kg mortar bomb into the barrel, aim by computer at a target 13 km away and fire with precision. It re-load automatically, highly mobile and can quickly withdraw before the enemy tracking unit can pin-point it’s location.
Front view of the track mine clearance vehicle.
The rear view showing the rows of chains.
This new vehicle locally built by Singapore Technologies named "Trail Blazer" replaces the old wheeled one which in anti-mine operation is driven in reverse position and the chains attached to an axel are rotated to beat the ground and detonate the mines. The armoured cabin protects the crew from small arms fire, shell fragments and explosive blasts. The mine-clearance vehicle can be deployed faster, safer and requires lesser manpower for clearing a safe passage way for our friendly forces.
The Searcher UAV
The Searcher is not a new comer, it is an un-manned aerial vehicle that first introduced in 1998 as a replacement of an older version. Is the smallest aircraft in the Republic of Singapore Air Force and operates closely in support of the army for battlefield surveillance or as a spotter/eye in the sky for the artillery against enemy targets. A special feature in the form of a built-in autopilot that has a ‘return home’ mode in case the command linkage is lost.
Logistic support an Immo transporter
Delivery made easy, slide it down and drive away; that’s it.
The Communication Division.
Seen here are two 3-tonners with extended sides to form one large portable Command and Control enclosure, housing all the sophisticated equipment, computer lap-tops, large visual LCD screens, etc…
For field maintenance a Bronco track vehicle (master) towing two slaves, one track and the other wheel. There is a crane for lifting and generator set for various functions.
Army bull-doser
The Army bull-doser maybe required to do clearing of obstacles or leveling job, building roads etc… The cabin is air-conditioned so it is a haven to work in cool comfort as compared with other vehicles, especially armoured with air blower only.
Remote-control Army bomb detector.
Does the job without putting the bomb disposal personal in danger. He stands at a safe distance and manipulate the controls.
M3G Raft for bridging purposes.
The M3G military float bridge/Raft (amphibian) can travel at 80 kmh on land, then un-fold to form a self-propelled raft. It can transport three 5-tonne vehicles on water at 9kmh. Operated by Singapore Combat Engineers for bridging purposes. At this year’s NDP the five ceremonial 25-pounder guns were loaded on six M3G rafts link together for the 21-gun “Presidential Salute.”
FH2000 155mm Howitser gun
Not a new comer, the locally built (Singapore Technologies) FH2000 155mm howitzer has been in service with the Singapore Artillery for some time. It provides precise and speedy fire support, backing up the infantry and armoured units. It is capable to neutralize enemy position with it’s awesome firepower and has better range than the SSPH1 Primus. It is self-propelled and can re-deploy after shooting to avoid counter fire.
From the gunner’s view
The SSPH1 Primus 155mm gun.
The self-propelled locally-made (Singapore Technologies) provide the Army’s combined arms division with the extra punch with 155mm fire power. It is one of the largest gun in the Singapore Armed Forces arsenal. The Primus is manned by a crew of 4 and can hit targets 30 km away. They were tested in New Zealand by the 21st battalion Singapore Artillery.
AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter
The Apache helicopter is equipped with a state-of-the-art sensor and weapon system. The key element is the conspicuous Longbow Fire Control Radar dome installed over the main rotor. The elevated position of the radome allows detection and (arcing) missiles engagement of targets even when the helicopter itself is concealed by an obstacle (e.g. terrain, trees or building. It belongs to No.120 squadron and stationed at RSAF Sembawang airbase, the home for rotary-wing units. The Apache can operate ideally with the ground troops in fire-support role and can blast away with their hellfire missiles and cannon fire. Often seen over Jurong area as they patrol the key installations at Jurong Island. It is computerised and network ready to plug into the Battlefield Management System(BMS). In the 3rd generation SAF there is cross-service integration where valuable info is shared among other services.
CH47 Chinook helicopter
Chinook is a heavy-lift helicopter with twin-engine, rotor in tandem. It can carry heavy payloads at speed over 155 mph, entered service in 1998 after returning from USA to form No.127 squadron and base at RSAF Sembawang airbase. They participate in relief operation in Thailand and Indonesia in “Operation flying eagle”. The Tsunami disaster that struck Banda Aceh/Meulaboh on the 24th December 2004 was truly tragic where more than a 150,000 people lost their lives. It is the worst tragedy ever to happened in Indonesia.
The 3G soldier
In his new No. 4 dress pixeliszed pattern camouflage uniform that will blend with vegetation for better concealment. The 3G soldier involved not only new weapons but new ideas, doctrines with integrated knowledge based. The soldier of the future must see earlier, think quicker and kill faster with the latest weapons and sensor. He has to acquire the ‘networking’ edge in planning; capable of assessing battlefield scenario from feedback info obtained by high tech un-manned aerial sensors, communication devices and able to call for entire firepower support.
I had the chance to try on our locally-made infantry weapon, the SAR-21 (Singapore Assault Rifle-21st century) and it was heavy even though it is short. I manage to ‘hit’ two targets electronically and quite happy, realizing that I still have not lost touch. When I was in the Police in the late 1950’s I represented Headquarters for the Johore Shield Competition. I dropped the plate with one shot; someone else in our team missed and finally the Gurkhas Police team took the Shield with their superb shooting.
School of Infantry Specialist.
An impressive modern building for teaching our young soldiers some specialised trade, to up-grade their knowledge and sharpen their skills in this grusome business of war ‘kill or be killed’.
From the Army Guards.
With one of the Guards holding a grenade-launcher and heavily padded; they specialize in repelling from helicopter, buildings or difficult terrain and are like commandos, highly trained but underpaid. Like that.Ah!
The Parade square with a Bionix.
At the Action World, two locally-made Bionix Infantry Fighting Vehicles in urban operations put up a display of fire power blasting away their main armament the bushmaster chain-gun and 7.62 machine guns at the Parade square. Earlier there was a parachute display by the “Red Lions” the Commando team landing at the square itself. The Military Police display some precision drill.
The “pegasus” 155mm light howitser gun.
The Pegasus is locally produced by Singapore Technologies and the world’s first self-propelled, heli-portable 155mm light-weight howitzer. It is a big calibre gun that can provide heavy fire power in support of our SAF. At 5.4 tons it can be transported by helicopter to battle. It is self-propelled and can fire at enemy position 30 km away..
A field hospital.
A field hospital, a single 3-tonner truck with extended sides to cater for Gen3 Field Casualty Station where wounded are taken in from battle front for immediate treatment. They can do minor patch-up work but as for the more serious cases; all they can do is to stabilize the patient and evacuate usually by helicopter to a proper hospital.
We ought to learn what history has shown us that the folly of under-estimating your enemy could result disastrously. An example in May 1905 Admiral Rojdestvensky led his Russian Baltic fleet, sailing half-way round the world to be defeated by a much smaller Japanese navy led by Admiral Togo at the Battle of Tsushima.
And in the last war the same lesson was repeated by the British, they were complacent and believed that the Japanese Army was inferior, an Asiatic nation of little yellow people. The Air Force also received much criticism, they ridicule by figuratively saying that Japanese planes were made of bamboo and rice paper. That Japanese pilots are crossed eyed so could not fly a plane properly, let alone fight in one.
And what happened? The British discovered to their shocking surprise that their own American-built Brewster Buffaloes were already obsolete and lumbering Vildebeest torpedo-bombers were antiques and no match against the Japanese. The Japanese Army Nakajima built streamline,agile “Ki-43” Hayabusha (Pergerine falcon) Allied code “Oscar” although inferior to their Navy Mitsubishi “Zero” simply shot their opponents out of the skies. Including one named John Gorten who was to be the future Prime Minister of Australia. From then the Japanese quickly gained mastery of the air and could roam or fly un-challenged and un-molested.
On the 10th of December 1941, saw the mighty British Navy battleships the “Prince of Wales” and “Repulse” sent to the bottom of the South China Sea by Japanese Navy bombers flying from Saigon. In the Indian Ocean the Royal Navy cruisers “Cornwall” , “Dorsetshire” and the aircraft carrier “Hermes” were also sent to the bottom by Admiral Ozawa’s carrier forces. The same can be said in the Battle of Java Seas where a combined fleet American, British, Dutch and Australian (ABDA) suffered defeat; thus ended the myth that “ Britannia rules the waves”
The so thought inferior Japanese Army of 3 Divisions (30,000 men) spearheaded by a few light tanks with their main infantry on bicycles rode down the whole length of Peninsular Malaya in 70 days. The impregnable fortress of Singapore fell on 15th February 1942 (Chinese New Year) and with it were 100,000 prisoners-of-war, British, Australian and Indian troops. The most humiliating defeat ever suffered by British arms; un-believable, the Mighty British Empire had crumbled.
The Singapore Armed Forces has the responsibility to maintain the deterrent visibly by flexing some muscles, otherwise it might tempt some cocky country to walk-over like what Saddam Hussein done to Kuwait. Although we do not have strategic depth, all the same we ought to take total defence seriously for if we lost, it will all be gone forever. However we should disperse some defence assets elsewhere; it would be wise not to put all the eggs in one basket.
Remember 68 years ago Pearl Harbour presented a classic example; on that Sunday morning 7th December 1941 the Japanese caught the Americans with their pants down. The battleship rows and the fighters planes parked wingtip to wingtip in long flight-lines were sitting ducks. It ended up like a shooting gallery in a Fun Fair with every Japanese pilot taking a pot shot at something, a ship or a plane. Of course the end result was total disaster termed as “ a day of infamy”.
Meantime we must take the advantage of technology to advance our level of skill and expertise to exploit the capabilities of latest weapons and systems to ensure our survival. We are really small, our tiny island is I remember 26 miles by 14 miles, you can walk across in a day. To-day our land area has expanded considerably owing to reclamation and it is now 648 sq.km. Therefore we must maintain our capabilities, hold the ground until the cavalry arrive (UN or some friendly big brother country intervenes). Meanwhile to remind would be aggressors that we are chilly padi, small but fiery hot just enough to flame your arse so don’t play, play.Ha! ha! really no joke lah! Little David,a shepherd boy can slay giant Goliath, ridiculously with a slingshot; check it out in the Biblical text.
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