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!
