CRUISING FROM LAND TO SEA

The latest in armoured fighting vehicles, it will take troops closer to the battlefield than ever before.

Following the success of the Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicle, which was launched in September 2009 and adopted by the Singapore Armed Forces in 2010, ST Kinetics has introduced an update of the armoured vehicle.

Touted as ST Kinetics' most innovative design to date, the Terrex 2 was soft-launched at defence tradeshow Defence and Security Equipment International in London in September 2015.

"We are seeing an increasing demand for highly mobile, protected and digitised, network-ready 8x8 platforms by global armed forces to be effective in land and littoral missions," said Brigadier-General (NS) Winston Toh, Chief Marketing Officer of ST Kinetics.

The Terrex 2 will offer infantry troops better mobility, protection and technological integration.

Smooth, safe transition

The Terrex 2 is specially designed for littoral missions, allowing infantry forces to transit from land to sea and from coast to coast smoothly and safely.

A unique "shark-shaped" hydrodynamic hull helps to keep its "nose" above water while a refined propulsion system enables it to cut through water at speeds beyond six knots, enduring moderately rough waters at up to Sea State 4 conditions (where waves reach up to 2.5m).

In addition, a raised snorkel system allows the vehicle to "breathe" both on land and in water: the intake and exhaust tubes, located on the bonnet to channel airflow into and out of the vehicle, can be raised when the Terrex 2 is in water. This way, airflow is not disrupted by the change in environment.

"V" marks the spot

Another key feature is the enhanced protection provided by ST Kinetic's proprietary "V-over-V" design, which enhances the Terrex 2's mine and improvised explosive device (IED) protection. This design features two V-shaped hull sections: a lower section for the drivetrain and suspension systems and an upper section for crew.

In the event of an explosion, the lower hull will absorb the initial blast. The V-shaped frame below helps to direct the force of the blast outwards and away from the upper hull. This is an update from the ladder frame found on the Terrex, where the bars run parallel.

The V-shaped design also optimises the buoyancy of the Terrex 2, allowing it to right itself when in water.

Simple, effective design

Staying true to ST Kinetics' philosophy of designing for the end-user, the Terrex 2 has a driver s seat that is configured simply with a steering wheel, automatic gear, and an acceleration and brake pedal - much like an automatic transmission car. For steering in water, an additional toggle stick is used.

Unlike its predecessor, the Terrex 2 boasts an updated touchscreen dashboard, with two screens added below the three located at eye-level. These screens can be customised to display details such as the vehicle s dashboard and gauges. They can also display data from system tests and reflect breakdowns and errors. The display can be moved from screen to screen to suit operational needs.

International recognition

Last year, ST Kinetics added another feather to its cap when the Terrex 2 was one of just two vehicles shortlisted by the United States Marine Corps (USMC) for the next phase of evaluation of its Amphibious Combat Vehicle 1.1 programme. The programme seeks to procure an amphibious assault vehicle for the USMC to replace its aging fleet of Assault Amphibious Vehicles.

Over the next two years, 13 prototypes of the Terrex 2 will undergo rigorous tests to assess their suitability for USMC s operations. According to an article in Defence News dated 24 Nov 2015, a winner would be picked in 2018 for 204 vehicles to be delivered by 2020.