SAF COMMISSIONS LOCALLY-BUILT SELF-PROPELLED ARTILLERY
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http://www.mindef.gov.sg/display.asp?number=1958
Minister for Defence, Rear-Admiral (NS) Teo Chee Hean, commissioned the Singapore Armed ForcesÂ’ (SAF) new self-propelled howitzer at Kranji Camp this afternoon. Named Primus, this is a highly accurate, mobile artillery platform that will enhance the capabilities of the ArmyÂ’s Combined Arms DivisionsÂ’ forces. It was jointly developed by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and Singapore Technologies Kinetics (ST Kinetics). -
Pictures !!! Anyone has pictures ??!!??
p.s. incidently ... can anyone from the Larden project (birth of FH8
relate some of their stories here? -
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Technical Specifications
Combat Weight : 28.3 ton
Length: 10.21 m
Width: 3.00 m
Height: 3.28 m
Chassis Length: 6.60 m
Chassis Width: 2.80 m
Ground Clearance: 0.45 m
Ground Pressure: 180 kPa
Calibre: 155 mm , 39 Calibre
Max. Range : 30 km with ER projectile
Maximum Rate: 6 rds / min
Burst Rate: 3 rds / 20 s
Sustained Rate: 2 rds / min for 30 min
Secondary Weapon: 7.62 mm GPMG
Operating Range: 350 km
Top Speed: 50 km/h
Transmission: GD HMPT-500-3EC
Engine: 550 HP Detroit Diesel
Emplacement Time: <1 min
Displacement Time: 1 min
Crew: 4 men -
the cmdr is standing too high up....he risk being shot at during ops and a safety hazard to himself when tank overturns.
nice pics though... -
i watched the video, the burst rate is lower than the 3 round /20 sec quoted, chassis is not the m109 as some had said earlier
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"Minister for Defence, Rear-Admiral (NS) Teo Chee Hean, commissioned the Singapore Armed ForcesÂ’ (SAF) new self-propelled howitzer at Kranji Camp this afternoon. Named Primus, this is a highly accurate, mobile artillery platform that will enhance the capabilities of the ArmyÂ’s Combined Arms DivisionsÂ’ forces. It was jointly developed by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and Singapore Technologies Kinetics (ST Kinetics)."
hmmm... looks like the SAF has finally de-classified this and is coming out in open with some of the details:
http://www.mindef.gov.sg/display.asp?number=1958
http://www.mindef.gov.sg/display.asp?number=1959
http://www.mindef.gov.sg/weapons/sph/multimedia.asp
looks cool huh?
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"the cmdr is standing too high up....he risk being shot at during ops and a safety hazard to himself when tank overturns."
well, this is about the same height as how a TC would stand in any armoured platform. anyway, do you know how hard it is to hit a target that is less than half the body, especially when the SP is on the move? oh... by the way, we don't call it a tank. it is a self propelled howitzer or SP for short... tanks are AMX13, M1, Leopard, PT90, merkava etc...
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hm.. i wonder what will this pc be estab to. mabbe replace our mortars?
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I'm surprised - what happened to the M109 Chassis? Looks like something developed from the automotive components of the Bionix. I would have thought that the new light tank would be shown first.
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39 Calibre?!!! Why 39 and not 52??? Any ideas?
How many rounds on board?
Is it chemical warfare proof?
So the M109 chassis is for something else?!! Probably bigger like the 175mm with ST version of Copperhead?
180kpa seems high compared to Bionix and SM=1......can they keep up? -
Is everyone sure this is a Bionix and not a M109 chasis????
I am surprised that they could put a 155mm SPH design onto a "IFV" chasis. No wonder the turret look so "huge" compared to the chasis. It is because the chasis is very small. -
Err.......correct me if I am wrong, but that looks more like a M113 chasis than a Bionix chasis?
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Doesn't look like a Bionix chasis to me either - way to high up, it looks like a M113 hull with Bionix drive trains. Nothing like an M109 chasis at all. Singapore apparently did buy the M109 chassis as recorded in the FMS list. The question should be, did we buy it and found it not suitable or is there in fact another SP gun.Originally posted by spencer99:Is everyone sure this is a Bionix and not a M109 chasis????
I am surprised that they could put a 155mm SPH design onto a "IFV" chasis. No wonder the turret look so "huge" compared to the chasis. It is because the chasis is very small.
From the specs, I presume the 39 calibre was chosen because of the chassis size and weight - look, it is a darn light SP gun, only 28 tons. Second, the gun is NOT an FH88. It looks like the good o Israeli M72 or M68 in stored. Make senses since SAF doesn't use the old M72 or M68 anymore and they are kept in the storage someone underground. The burst rate also has the hallmark of the M68 gun. The FH88 gun has a much higher 8 rounds/min burst rate rather than 6.
Actually, after having a closer look, I think the gun looks like the Paladin gun. Perhaps instead of getting the M109 chassis, SAF actually got the gun and integrated it onto a locally designed chassis?
M109A6:
ROC M109A2:
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It really seems that MINDEF went for light weight and low crew requirements for this SPH, which is exactly what SAF needs. Although it is about the same weight and performance as the M109A6, it needs only four instead of six crew. There must be some pretty advanced automation systems in the turret, which is unusual in this weight category. Most highly automated SPH howitzers are in the 40+ ton range (AS90 and PZH2000).
The chassis looks like "son of Bionix". I don't think it is a M113, but completely new. The gun is definitely not FH88. It is probably of local design and manufacture, but bears the hallmarks of the M109A6. Maybe some reverse engineering of the M109A6 occured (shhh), or ST figured it out themselves or with help. Gun performance is only OK -- probably the limits of automation. 39 calibre is about as good as you're going to get on something less than 30 tons, so whatever...
The ground pressure looks worrisome. 180 kPa is so high that I think it's a typo. 80 kPa, like the M109 seems more like it, especially since it is about the same size and same weight. However, the chassis is so small compared to the turret and the treads are so narrow, that I have a sinking feeling it might be right. I hope the system is not top-heavy either! Don't want that TC to be turned to mush if it overturns -- enough KITs already.
Quite a few unknowns (typical MINDEF). No idea how much ammunition it carries, or the accuracy of the system. No word on armor protection (looks just thick enough to stop artillery fragments and small arms).
Still very very cool though. Even the name is nice. In Oriente Primus! Now I'm really excited. Whole night cannot sleep... -
no lah.... in oriente primus is a historical reference to the fact that the singapore artillery was the first to be formed in the orient (aka asia lah)
the gun actual name is just PRIMUS lah... aka... first...
hmmm..... PRIMUS... means first...
is it hinting that SAF got another SPH gun that is called second in latin??
or maybe currently under developing like the FH88 than FH2000 trend.... -
wow! this is the best scoop i've come across since the unveiling of the bionix!
anyway i agree with tiggersgd. The profile is way too high and the turret is so...like humongous and right-angled...even a bobo rpg cannot miss
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hey..our very own SP...nice...hey...the chassis shape looked like the one i said earlier in the year about an SP-like chassis shape driving past Jalan Bahar at night...
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chey... i'ld rather they announced the acquisition and replacement of all 120mm mortars with the LWSPH...
now THAT's a solid piece of equipment... mobility + firepower. -
SINGAPORE : Imagine an artillery cannon capable of moving on its own, instead of having to be towed around.
Well, that is exactly what the Singapore Armed Forces wanted.
So, the Defence Science and Technology Agency and ST Kinetics hit the drawing board and designed a self-propelled Howitzer.
After six years of development, the mobile "Primus" is the envy of many other less-endowed bug guns.
But it is more than just a big-moving gun.
The SAF said it was four times more effective than howitzers towed behind heavy vehicles.
And it is what the 21st Batallion Singapore Artillery have always dreamed of having in their arsenal.
Colonel Lim Teck Huat, Chief of Artillery, said: "There has always been a gap in our inventory and when we support the combined arms divisional forces, the towed guns do have limitations in terms of mobility, the towed mortars, the short range is a liability and it could not support the armoured operations."
Equipped with a state-of-the-art targeting and navigation systems, the Primus can fire 155mm rounds at targets 30 kilometres away and with pin-point accuracy.
So artillery units can resort to a very effective hide, shoot and scoot strategy.
This means the gun crew can stay hidden under thick vegetation, fire at the enemy and then escape at speeds of up to 50 kilometres an hour.
To confuse the enemy and prevent detection, the Primus also used a smoke-screen defence system.
Andrew Tan, General Manager of Ordnance Development and Engineering Company, said: "We wanted to have a rapid fire capability and for that, the artillery rounds are heavy so we designed an ammo handling system and what it means is the work of two dozen men today that the field artillery is using, is now operated by just four men."
Fully loaded, the Primus weighs less than 30 tonnes.
And that includes armour which can withstand small arms fire from anything up to a 7.62 calibre general purpose machine gun.
For the gun crew it takes up to 10 months to be fully trained to operate such a high-tech weapon.
The public will get a chance to see the howitzer at the Asian Aerospace exhibition in February next year.
The SAF's new self-propelled howitzer was commissioned on Monday at Kranji Camp by Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean.
He praised the close cooperaton between the SAF and the local defence industries in building a weapon customised to Singapore's needs.
Rear Admiral Teo said the Primus was Singapore's technologically most complex product to date.
Separately, he said the Singapore Landing Ship Tank deployed to Iraq has arrived in the sea off the country and the morale among the men was good. - CNA -
Hi all...
it does not seem that light weight to me because Paladin weights almost the same at 63600 pds equ to 28 tons also...
PALADIN 155MM - SPECIFICATION
Armament and ammunition
Cannon range unassisted 24 km
Cannon range assisted 30 km
Projectile loading Semi-automatic
Ammunition capacity 39 complete rounds
Rate of firing
Response time <60 seconds
Sustained rate of fire 1 round/3 minutes
Maximum rate of fire 3 rounds/15 seconds; 8 rounds/minute
Fire control Automatic fire control with optical backup
Navigation Inertial positioning navigation system integral with AFCS
Optics night vision compatible
NBC protection individual crew protection with heating and cooling
Hydraulic segregated hydraulics system
Combat weight 63,600 lbs
Length 384 inches
Width 124 inches
Height 127.4 inches
Ground clearance 18 inches
Ground pressure 113.53 psi
Fuel capacity 133 gallons
Speed 40 mph
Vehicle range 214 miles
Engine DDEC 8V71T, 2 cycle diesel, 440 horsepower
Transmission 4 forward, 2 reverse
Suspension torsion bar high strength with high capacity shock absorbers
Electrical power 650 amps, 24 v DC
Travel clock remote powered
Communications VIC-1, VRC-89 or SINCGARS
the chasis mmmm.... never seen b4 too low for a M113.
too "whole piece" for a bionix chasis.
the gun is rather erhm... not impressive. unless they are only for local support instead of strategical ones.
the boxy look seems to tell me that a lot ammunition can be stored wonder how many...
then the box like thing at the turret. whats that? sensors? or something to make the old gun more realiable? -
Maybe 39 Cal because of barrel length......the recoil mechanism looks huge in comparison to Paladin.
With 52 Cal harder to maneuver around rubber trees or more prevalent today palm trees.
Chassis could be a modified M109 made higher because of autoloader??? With crew of 4!
Must be air conditioned and therefore some NBC protection since I cannot see any side hatches.
Looks great I think but kinda stubby looking (again due to palm trees?) compared to the Turkish ones.... which I had hope would be a ST venture. -
I have checked thru the spec with Bionix and the Primus
The Bionix has a 475hp DDC 6V 92TA engine.
The Primus has 550hp Detroit Diesel engine, maybe the higher variant of the above since both are from Detroit Diesel.
The both have the same transmission ,GDDS HMPT 500-3EC.
The Bionix has 6 road wheels, where the Primus has 7 road wheels.
From the above , it is most probably based on the Bionix chasis with a stretch hull of additional one road wheel.
Actually it is alway better in maintenance & logistic support for spares if all vehicles shared common chasis.
CHARGE!!!
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Originally posted by gary1910:
sounds like to have ease in maintinace.....
I have checked thru the spec with Bionix and the Primus
The Bionix has a 475hp DDC 6V 92TA engine.
The Primus has 550hp Detroit Diesel engine, maybe the higher variant of the above since both are from Detroit Diesel.
The both have the same transmission ,GDDS HMPT 500-3EC.
The Bionix has 6 road wheels, where the Primus has 7 road wheels.
From the above , it is most probably based on the Bionix chasis with a stretch hull of additional one road wheel.
[b]CHARGE!!!
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The chassis looks like that of the M109's to me.... care to tell me what difference you guys see? BTW, look at part of the statement released:
"Several commercial-off-the-shelf systems (COTS) such as the M109A6 Paladin (USA), Type 75 ( Japan ), 2S3M1 (Ex-Soviet) and the AS90 Braveheart ( UK ) that fulfilled the prerequisites of possessing firepower with high mobility and battlefield survivability were considered. However, none could cater to our unique requirements in terms of lightweight mobility. Hence, the decision was made by DSTA to develop a completely new SPH with ST Kinetics. "
Interesting... Why would the Japs give access to their howitzer, when the Japs NEVER sell any indigineous equipment? Also, it's interesting that the howitzer's time into action is not revealed... Not to sound sour-grape that this is not a 52 cal arty piece, but if you look at the American FCS NLOS cannon, aaaait is a 39 cal weapon too. Their recent experiences gave them the impression that time into action was in some ways more valuable than range. (It seems that the utility of the Paladin's time into action impressed them quite a bit)
