ST Engineering displays latest defence products
By Yvonne Cheong
Singapore Technologies Engineering has put a whole host of its
latest defence innovations on display.
They range from more efficient and versatile weapons, rugged radios
and PDAs, and vehicles capable of handling any terrain.
The FanTail is a unmanned aerial vehicle capable of vertical take
off and landing, so there is no need for a runway.
Locally designed by ST Aerospace, it can easily manoeuvre between
buildings, making it ideal for urban reconnaissance.
It can also be fitted to detect chemical clouds without risking the
lives of soldiers or police officers.
This eye-in-the-sky is just one of the new local gizmos showcased
for members of the parliamentary committee for defence.
Another local weapon unveiled is this Super Rapid Advanced Mortar
System.
The weapon can fire 18 mortars a minute, yet the recoil has been
reduced so significantly that unlike traditional mortars, which
have to embedded in the ground, this can be mounted on a light
vehicle, making it mobile.
These are just some of the homegrown weapons being evaluated by the
Singapore Armed Forces.
"Some of the equipment are world class. The SAF is very happy with
the platform they've supplied to us like the Bronco and the
Bionics. We're totally satisfied," said Associate Professor Koo
Tsai Kee, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Defence and National
Development.
ST Engineering says these local innovations have also caught the
eye of several armies in Europe and beyond.
"We're focusing on light compact products in general. The way we
look at our system, we're focusing on new markets -- markets like
some cities in the Middle East, one or two cities, one or two
countries in Africa," said ST Engineering president and CEO Tan
Pheng Hock.
Check out the new super duper
gun!
