CELEBRATING 45 YEARS OF ARMOUR TRANSFORMATION

Armour training in both the classroom and the field is becoming more engaging, effective and efficient. Second Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing was updated on how the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Armour Formation was achieving this, when he visited the formation on 15 Aug.

Mr Chan also got an update on the Army's training transformation, and tried out the Leopard Driving Training Simulator (LDTS) at the Armour Simulator Centre. The simulator allows soldiers to experience realistic driving training before operating the actual platform.

Speaking of the benefits of using simulators, Lieutenant (LTA) Nick Chan, an armour simulation wing instructor, said simulators enabled training to be done more realistically and safely. Soldiers can train in different scenarios and adverse conditions which cannot be replicated in field training, so that both their basic and collective skills can be honed.

During his visit, Mr Chan took part in a live firing at the SAFTI Live Firing Area, utilising the Army Live Firing Range Enhancement (ALFRE) systems. These use instrumented target systems to improve realism and training experience during live-firing exercises.

With the new systems, soldiers can fire on moving targets during local training, receive gunnery feedback which allows them to improve their skills and competencies as well as reduce time and resources spent on administrative set-up.

Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Andy Quek, Head Doctrine and Training Development Branch at Headquarters Armour who is in charge of the ALFRE systems, said: "The major leap we have done with ALFRE is that we are now able to do more operationally-oriented live firing, (whereas) in the past, we did more technical live firing."

At the end of his visit, Mr Chan officiated at Armour's 45th Anniversary Parade, praising the achievements of armour personnel both past and present. He said: "Many years ago, you (the pioneers of armour) went where no one else had been; you took on the task when not many people even knew what to do. Your spirit defined the armour formation's foundations."

He added: "You were bold, you were decisive. You dared to venture where no one else had been. You dared to establish the fighting doctrines (which) no one else had dreamt of. And step by step, you built the armour formation that we are so proud of today."

Also at the parade were Chief of Army Major-General (MG) Perry Lim, Sergeant Major of the Army Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) Ng Siak Ping, and Armour veterans.