A different view of news that was reported outside singapore.
Read what's being done to address the deficiencies posted by fellow
forumites here. Not sure if some of the info was reported in our
papers.
Matador: Unguided Short Range Anti-Armour Weapon (SRAAW)
(Source: Singapore Ministry of Defence; issued Sept. 4, 2004)
Developed jointly by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the
Defence Science & Technology Agency (DSTA), in collaboration
with Dynamit Nobel Defence (DND), the Matador (Man-portable
Anti-Tank, Anti-DOoR) is a 90mm caliber, man-portable disposable
anti-armor weapon system, which meets the needs of the modern
battlefield, especially in an increasingly urbanized environment.
The development of this weapon began in 2000 and the Matador will
eventually replace the ARMBRUST Light Anti-tank Weapon, which has
been in service since the 1980s.
The Matador, which is among the lightest in its class, has both
anti-armor and anti-brickwall capabilities that are suitable for
operations in confined spaces. With its enhanced penetration
capabilities, it is capable of defeating most known Armored
Personnel Carrier and Light Tanks in the world. The dual-capability
warhead, when acting in the delay mode, creates an opening larger
than 450mm diameter in a double brickwall and offers a
non-conventional entry point for the soldier when fighting in
built-up areas. The increased range of the Matador over the current
ARMBRUST allows the soldier to engage targets beyond small arms
effective range and therefore increasing the survivability of our
soldiers.
The Matador innovative propulsion system results in a
highly accurate weapon system whose projectile is insensitive to
wind. Combined with ergonomic features and a high
precision optical sight, the Matador can be fired from a small
confined space to enhance our operational capabilities in both
conventional and urban operations.
In the development of the weapon, our soldiers feedback during
ergonomics trials and many other useful features found in the
ARMBRUST were incorporated in the design of the Matador.
The longer front grip handle prevents the soldier from
misplacing his finger in front of the muzzle during firing, thereby
eliminating the risk of injury. It also allows the soldier
to rest the weapon on the ground, thus improving accuracy when
maintaining a firing position. The foldable pistol grips
allow the soldiers to lock the weapon, preventing accidental
firing.
Field trials were conducted to tailor the position of the optical
sight to the SAF soldiers. The chosen sight magnification provides
the soldiers with good field of view to allow for more precise
strike on target. The Matador is equipped with Picatinny
rail for mounting night vision device for night
operations. Improvements have also been made to the
sighting system to enhance target acquisition.
The countermass counteracts the recoil of the weapon upon firing.
In addition, the positioning of the countermass takes into
consideration the center of gravity of the weapon to ensure good
balance for greater accuracy. A wider soft rubber sling
replaced the conventional hard, slim canvas sling to reduce the
stress on the soldiers shoulder due to prolonged slinging. The new
sling also comes with a quick-release buckle to allow rapid switch
from sling to firing position.
Furthermore, the carriage of the weapon has been made more
comfortable with better padding, a feature useful for long route
marches. As a whole, these easy-to-use features will help
our soldiers achieve proficiency in using the weapon within the
shortest possible time.
The Matador is a crucial step forward in the Armys journey to
transform itself into a 3rd generation fighting force and will
greatly enhance the firepower of the Infantry Formation. The Army
will gain the added capability to fight in built-up areas. With the
improvements to make the weapon user-friendly, our soldiers will
find the weapon easy to operate and will spend less training time
to achieve proficiency.
