SAF unveils latest armoured vehicle
The Hunter is the army's first fully digitalised vehicle and missiles have been integrated into the armoured fighting machine
The Singapore Army has unveiled its latest armoured fighting vehicle, which boasts greater firepower, survivability and mobility.
Called the Hunter to reflect the predatory spirit to sense, track, and pursue its prey, the vehicle was commissioned at the Armour formation's 50th anniversary parade yesterday.
Locally designed and developed by the Defence Science and Technology Agency with ST Engineering and the army, the Hunter will progressively replace the army's fleet of Ultra M113 armoured fighting vehicles, which have been in service since the 1970s.
Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen reviewed the parade and commissioned the Hunter at Sungei Gedong Camp.
The parade was attended by Chief of Defence Force Melvyn Ong, Chief of Army Goh Si Hou, DSTA chief executive Tan Peng Yam, armour pioneers and senior officials from the Defence Ministry and the SAF.
Chief Armour Officer, Brigadier-General Yew Chee Leung, 42, said the Hunter is the army's first fully digitalised vehicle.
A digital steering system lets the vehicle commander take over the driving if needed. Its weapons can be controlled via a touchscreen interface.
"So the way we drive and the way we fight have been fully digitalised. That's what we mean when we say it is a fully-digitalised platform," said BG Yew.
The Hunter is armed with a cannon, machine gun, eight smoke grenade launchers and two anti-tank guided missiles - the first time the missiles have been integrated into an armoured fighting vehicle.
It is operated by a crew of three - the vehicle commander, gunner and driver - in an integrated combat cockpit in the vehicle.
The Hunter is the army's first armoured fighting vehicle to have such a cockpit, which allows the commander and gunner to operate a common set of controls, and the closed hatch design minimises the crew's exposure to threats, especially in an urban environment.
BG Yew said the formation will train a core group of regulars and instructors this year, before training full-time national servicemen and rolling out the vehicle for the 42nd Battalion, Singapore Armoured Regiment, next year.
Algorithms can be used for predictive maintenance, increasing the efficiency of vehicle maintenance and management. The Hunter crew can mobilise unmanned aerial and ground vehicles to gather reconnaissance and surveillance information remotely.
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