S'porean high-tech artillery gun is unveiled
Designed to suit local conditions, Mindef says the self-propelled
gun is SAF's 'most technologically complex product'
By David Boey
THE Singapore Armed Forces yesterday unveiled the latest addition
to its arsenal - a 155mm artillery gun that moves like a
tank.
Called the Singapore Self-Propelled Howitzer 1 or Primus, the
locally developed guns will give the army's combined arms divisions
more firepower, speed and accuracy.
This has been achieved by combining the armour and mobility of a
tracked vehicle, like a tank, with the firepower of a 155mm gun,
the largest calibre artillery piece in the SAF.
The decision to develop the Primus was made after a survey of some
of the world's best self-propelled guns from the United States,
Britain, Japan and Russia found them either too heavy or too wide
for local terrain, said the Defence Ministry.
Chief Artillery Officer Lim Teck Huat said: 'We made a market
survey in 1995 and 1996 and considered the operational guns around
the world. Well, they had a lot of firepower, were highly mobile
and very survivable but they were also very heavy, mostly around 50
tonnes, and we needed something lighter.'
The SAF needed the Primus to weigh less than 30 tonnes and be no
wider than 3m, for it to move across bridges and through vegetation
here.
By April 2000, the first working prototype was rolled out, using a
vehicle chassis adapted from the US Army's Bradley Infantry
Fighting Vehicle and M109 self-propelled gun.
After another three years of testing, the guns were unveiled by
Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean yesterday.
The result, Mindef says, is the creation of 'arguably the lightest
and most responsive self-propelled howitzer in its class'.
Before the Primus, the SAF's stable of 155mm guns - the FH-88 and
FH-2000 - usually had to be towed by trucks.
Towed guns require more time to get into action and at least eight
gunners to operate, compared to the Primus which only needs a crew
of four and is ready to fire in less than a minute.
Beneath its tough armour-plated exterior is a host of sophisticated
on-board computers that control navigation and automate the
handling of ammunition.
Altogether, the Primus is the SAF's 'most technologically complex
product designed to date', added Mindef.
At its commissioning yesterday, there were no formal military
parades. Instead, the ceremony took place out in the field at
Kranji Camp, where six guns swung into action in a demonstration
that showcased its ability to 'hide, shoot and scoot'.
The first artillery unit to receive these guns is the 21st
Battalion, Singapore Artillery.
The unit started using them early this year and is gearing up for a
battalion live-firing exercise code-named Thunder Warrior. This
will take place in New Zealand early next year.
After seeing the guns in action, Rear Admiral (NS) Teo said: 'It's
an example of the cooperation between the Defence Science and
Technology Agency, the SAF and Singapore Technologies Kinetics that
we're able to develop something which can fit our unique
needs.'
