ENGINEERS and defence scientists may have developed the Primus,
but its users, including artillery gunners in their late teens, had
a say in how it would be deployed.
In fact, gunners from the 21st Battalion Singapore Artillery, the
first unit armed with the Primus, helped change some 30 per cent of
procedures for using the weapon.
Captain Helen Ang, 30, a battery commander with the unit, said her
gunners helped weed out procedures that could be done better while
being trained to use the self-propelled guns.
Most suggestions were offered by full-time national servicemen
(NSF) in their late teens.
She said: 'NSF input is very important as they are the people on
the ground who know whether things can be executed or not.
As different batteries went out for exercise, we came back for
after-action reviews. From there, we put up suggestions that helped
revise the training manuals.'
For instance, gunners proposed changing the positions at which they
stood in the gun turret so the loading process could be less
cumbersome.
Having an armoured heavy artillery gun which can move about at
speeds of 50km/h and fire a burst of three shells in about 20
seconds has spurred a mindset change among gunners on how the
weapon can best be used.
Captain Dinesh Vasu Dash, 29, a weapons staff officer from
Headquarters Artillery, said the development of the weapon took
place alongside efforts to draw up a training programme and methods
for using it during wartime.
On the weapon's impact on tactics, he explained: 'It opened up new
tactics, training and procedures that we have incorporated into our
system, like the shoot-and-scoot tactic.'
The gun's unique fire control computers and navigation equipment
allow it to dash out from cover, aim and fire three rounds in about
20 seconds, then race to a new hiding place before enemy guns can
respond - a tactic big guns towed behind trucks cannot match.
Added Capt Vasu Dash: 'This gave us insights into a new method of
operation, having to decentralise our batteries so a gunner
can make decisions on the battlefield on his own and achieve the
mission on his own, rather than the traditional view of
the gunner as a muscleman who lugs and chucks rounds from one point
to another.'
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PRIMUS
Width: 3m
Weight: 28.3 tonnes
Gun calibre: 155mm, 39 calibre
Gun range: 30km
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