A new tank for the SAF ?

Atobe SG

From the website - 'Armour on the Web', the following picture was spotted.

New Tank ?

AMX-SM1

M-113 with ULTRA mounted overhead

http://www.mindef.gov.sg/army/armour_heritage.htm

gary1910 SG

That is , my friend a AMX-10 PAC90.

MushyMaro SG

thats an affirmative...

anyway i think they are no longer in action...

warspite SG

They are still in use...but only with 1 reservist unit.

CX SG

yups... saw a couple of reservist uncles driving a pair around once last time in LCK...

BIG fellas... but according to a tankie from of the other threads last time, it gets hot pretty fast right?

heard it swims too... cool machine... but its not the mystery machine we're hoping to see Smile

Joe Black SG

Ok guys, other than the new light tank that ST is developing for SAF (rumoured or true), what would be a good replacement for the 60 or so Centurions (or Tempest some might want to call it)?

Given that the magical 3.0 meters is presumed not a requirements for the MBTs, lets speculate and comment what would be a cool choice Smile

(Assumption taken is that it would be a 1:1 replacement, and money is NOT an issue).

My choices are:
1. Giat Lelerc
2. M60-2000 with a MTU GD833 engine and Israeli active defensive aids suite.
3. Japanese Type 90
4. Sabra II (with a different engine... looking at MTU GD 883 V-12; plus all the nice weapon fire control system and sights of the Merkava 4, advanced data communications and battle management system and active defensive aids suite)

Ideal would be about 6 million USD per tank and thus 60 tanks will cost SAF 360 to 400 million (tanks plus support).

Smile

eurofighter SG

Dun we have the replacement already in the form of the... Wink

paulho SG

I dun think there ever will be any replacement for the amx's, if they serve the current purpose of looking obscurely like obsolete junk but at the same time nible, like having an old XT computer casing but hidden with pentium 4 microprocessor inside. why would they want to replace it with anything?

Unless they can find something better which there are but I doubt it because it will cost a whole lot of money and take a long long time to do, change 1 & we have to change all 380, change all 380 & we have to think abt retraining the maintainence teams + equipment for manufacturing spares also what abt combat retraining and time for them to go operational?

I think the most they will develop better rounds or try strapping on a 105-106 mm gun or improve the FCS, tune the engine but that's abt it.

paulho SG

But there is also another approach they have to take if really they want to change to a new tank ... seamlessly.

Mi not a tankee but I think the key denominator here is the FCS, the FCS is the system or the software that currently all tankee crews are trained on it.

eg: Makes no sense to install DOS 5 operating system currently used with your XT machine onto a pentium 4 machine because it's not efficient at all, better to upgrade the XT to start using Win2k instead, once you are familiar with win2k then you upgrade to a better machine.

To change to a better tank assuming there is a need for it, first upgrade the FCS software on the amx to a superior one and train the crews to start using it.

At the same time start phasing in or upgrade equipment for manufacturing of spares for new tank and retraining maintainence crews. Once your maintainence+spare support reaches critical mass level only then can you change the tank.

Of course all this will also take a few years & cost a lot of money but in the end the rollout process will be quite a seamless cutover.

just my thoughts.

SingaporeTyrannosaur SG

Well, they better get an OS that does not crash as often as windows… imagine what would happen in battle if you got illegal operation or blue screen of death…

paulho SG

dunno what software they use but I doubt it is windows, most legacy systems or rugged computers dun use ms-windows most use a cutdown version of unix operating system, the os is much more reliable.

LazerLordz SG

Well, as I recall, the AMX-10 PAC 90 also has a modified variant…Those in the know might know what i mean.Isn’t that quite okay for interim armoured needs?

ditzy SG

Those ‘new’ tanks are really ‘old’ tanks. They’ve been in service for some time before the sm1 replace them. Those tanks are huge and they can swim. Its crew have to go thru some rigourous underwater excercise. You know why.

gary1910 SG

I think it 's waste becos we bought them not too long ago (in the 90s) and the only AFVs in our inventory that is truelly designed for amphibious landing.

ST should actually look at at it & modified to suit our requirement and local condition.

Moonstriker SG

Use the penguin OS... Linux Redhat! Very Happy

ditzy SG

VxWorks from Wind River Systems. Crashless. Used: Mars exploration rover.

LazerLordz SG

*Salutes.

Mars rover eh,..well something that can be entrusted to run the Mars Exploration Rovers can most probably be counted.However this country has a poor track record when it comes to new i.e radical and off-the-beaten track kind of stuff.Therefore I don't think its likely they will veer away from the usual modification of COTS software.What do you think?

ditzy SG

I think its only a matter of time.

|-|05| SG

My choices wld be
1.Merkava 1
2.Merkava 2
3. Giat Lelerc
4.M60

warspite SG

AH.... those were the days.... Wink

Too bad I got posted out.... Sad