Armored Singapore (16 photos) Bashny.Net

I would like to talk about this interesting country, the orders and the laws and the industry.
The world's largest sea port is here, there's even your own tank factory.
Tiny Singapore are smaller St. Petreburge, but nevertheless there is an airport, development of the electrical industry, and the number of armored vehicles can be compared with North Korea.



 
In December 2011, in big trouble was a citizen of Ukraine Sergey Serkov - it too, so to speak, frivolous treatment of the airline stewardess «Singapore Airlines» ended in court and public beatings with bamboo sticks. Long article "insulting the dignity of the citizen of Singapore» ...
It was not the first big event of corporal punishment to foreigners - in 1994, a similar punishment befell American teenager Michael Fay. Underage scoundrel involved vandalism on the streets of the cleanest city in the world, for which he was immediately arrested by the police and mercilessly flogged. It did not help even the intervention of President Clinton - in Singapore are all equal before the law.

These stories highlight the best surroundings, in which the events described below. In an unusual country fined for tossed a candy wrapper on the sidewalk and ruthlessly vzdergivayut traffickers. The rigidity and integrity of the authorities - the only thing that enables you to store and maintain a small state. After all, the island is not even fresh water sources - it has to be imported from Malaysia.



Just a dot on the map (a red spot in the Eastern part)

The city-state, positioning itself as a tourist paradise, is armed with its ground forces more than 2,000 modern tanks and heavy armored vehicles! At first glance, it begs comparison with North Korea, but the impression is deceptive: Singapore - open state, but, for some reason, Singaporeans are in no hurry to leave his urbanized and well-protected island.

Steel claws Singapore
Singapore Pride tank battalions - 96 main battle tanks, "Leopard 2", of which only 66 remain fighting capacity, the remaining thirty machines are designed for "cannibalization" as a source of spare parts for front-line tanks. Singapore military practical, because, imagine how they will pull out of the swamps 60-ton colossus, immediately ordered another 10 armored recovery vehicles Bergepanzer BPz3 Buffel chassis "Leopard" (Party ARV income 31 on May 2012 g of.).



All MBT "Leopard 2A4", purchased in 2008 from the German Armed Forces, received a set of ceramic armor AMAP German company «IBD Deyzenrot Engineering", additional underbody protection, mine and rack equipment in the aft tank, designed to protect against chemical weapons. The main scope of work on modernization of the "Leopard" was held at the enterprises of Singaporean company «ST-Kinetics." The next stage of modernization in Singapore "Leopard Evolution" will include the installation of ADS active defense of the famous German company "Rheinmetall».

Many foreign experts quips that the use of main battle tanks in the territory of Singapore is similar to the plot of the famous joke about the elephant in a china shop. 60-ton monsters of the tower get bogged down in the marshy soil of the island, and tank battles on the territory of Malaysia and Indonesia in general lie in the realm of science fiction, "Leopards" not propolzut jungle and meters.

But Singapore is living with his mind, and he found quite an educated decision for warfare under conditions of Southeast Asia. 350 light tanks of the French AMX-13, weighing 18 tons. All of them were acquired in the 70 years from the IDF and to date went through several cycles of modernization, including the replacement of gasoline engine to diesel, installation of a new powertrain and suspension. Significant changes have undergone a fire control system, there were a thermal imager and laser rangefinder (all - of its own production, from the company «ST Kinetics"). The drives of vertical and horizontal pointing guns become completely electric, but, needless 75 mm gun remained unchanged - Singaporeans do not seem concerned about the installation of the stabilizer, arguing that in the jungle there is no way to fire on the move.



With regard to the basic design, the AMX-13 - original fighting vehicle developed in the early 50 hgodov, front-engine compartment, aluminum armor, and "swinging tower. The French managed to do without charging - a small tower are two drum shop 6 rounds in each force rollback rotates once round the store and rolls on the tray. Then automatically made chambering, the shutter closes and the shot. The device provides a rate of 10-12 rounds per minute. Ammunition shooting, an unarmed tank must find shelter for recharging stores (total 36 rounds ammunition).

Currently, Singapore tanks of this type, designated AMX-13 SM-1 is gradually removed from service, refurbished in vehicle launched bridges and so on. Special machines. Also armed land forces of Singapore could theoretically be six dozen former Israeli tanks' Shot Kal "- modernized the British" Centurion "with 105 mm guns and diesel engines. In recent years, these machines are not found absolutely no mention, but it's possible they are still quietly rusting away somewhere in the storage bases, and perhaps long-dismantled for scrap.



SSPH Primus is ready to "fry" the enemy

Have islanders and their "main caliber." Since 2002 the company «ST-Kinetics' started production of self-propelled 155mm howitzer SSPH Primus. So far, Singaporeans rivet 48 "Primus" and is very happy with the result. And still in service in Singapore has more than 800 armored infantry fighting vehicles and 1,000 armored tracked M113.



BMP Bionix. The combat weight of 23-25 ​​tons. Crew 3 people., Landing 7 people. Road speed of 70 km / h, afloat 10 km / h



Infantry fighting vehicles "Bionix" and "Terreks" - a private development company «ST Kinetics." The highest priority in the design of the armor called her protection - as a result, Singapore has a huge mass of armored vehicles - 25 tonnes or more (for comparison, the domestic half of the BMP-2 is easier!). The modular armor provides protection against vserakursny 14, 5 mm bullets, and maintains contact with the frontal projection of 30 mm shells.

Established in 1988, tracked infantry fighting vehicles "Bionix" has three basic variants, differing weapons systems:
 - Bionix 40/50 - BMP, defined in the tower 12, 7 mm machine gun and automatic grenade launcher caliber 40mm (300 aircraft in service with the Singapore Armed Forces),
 - Bionix 25 - BMP, armed with 25 mm automatic cannon "Bushmaster" (200 cars),
 - Bionix II - a modern version of the BMP with automatic 30 mm gun (200 cars).

BTR "Terreks" (sometimes referred to as BMP) - heavy armored wheeled, commercially available since 2004 Weight 30 ton armored vehicles, landing 12 people. Road speed of 110 km / h, afloat 10 km / h.
The creators of "Terreksa" paid much attention to overseeing the surroundings: in addition to the three standard periscope, thermal imaging cameras and surveillance systems circular (ARSS), installed on the roof of the car acoustic sensor rounds of small arms, which allows quickly identify the direction of enemy fire.



BTR Terrex

Each APC carries a stabilized weapon station EOS R-600 remote control, including a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher and machine gun AGL 7, 62 mm.
In recent years, armed with three infantry battalions of the army of Singapore received 135 armored vehicles "Terreks».

The army of Singapore are more than 1,000 M113A2 tracked armored personnel carriers ULTRA, most of them are given to the standard 40/50 with established combat unit of the Israeli company Rafael. A minority of vehicles equipped with 25 mm automatic cannon, several armored personnel carriers are used as self-propelled anti-aircraft installations «Mechanised Igla» mounted with radar launchers and six containers of MANPADS "Igla" Russian production.

In general, the M113 armored personnel carrier - a floating tracked vehicle weight of 11 tonnes of the sample in 1960. Two members of the crew and eleven paratroopers securely covered 44 mm aluminum armor. The diesel engine provides good mobility, enabling to develop on the highway speed of 60 km / h.



Mobile SAM M113A2 Ultra Mechanised Igla

There is also a Singapore military are 300 light APCs Cadillac Commando (armored reconnaissance and patrol vehicles on the national classification). Amphibious combat machines weighing 7 tons with a light anti-bullet armor. Fifty "Cadillac" in service, the rest of rust on conservation.

The specific conditions of geography and climate of Singapore required special technical solutions to increase the mobility of the army. Twenty years ago, for the needs of the Singapore Army had purchased 300 articulated Swedish ATVs BV-202 "Moose" with active trailer. The unique machine is so like the military, that on this basis the company «ST Kinetics' developed and produced 400 light armored all-terrain vehicles Bronco All Terrain Tracked Carrier for the needs of the Armed Forces of Singapore, and more than 100 vehicles for the British Army and the Thai Army.



Bronco All Terrain Tracked Carrier

An important element of armored units are specialized engineering machinery, tractors, vehicle launched bridges, belts of ammunition, repair and recovery appliances. All this is lacking at the islanders in excess. On arms of Singapore Army engineering units are:

 - 36 British FV180 Combat Engineer Tractor. "Tractor" is a universal floating armored tracked vehicle loader to perform excavation and construction work in the area of ​​military conflict,
 - 12 vehicle launched bridges M60 AVLB on tank chassis M60,
 - 10 Heavy Armoured Recovery Vehicle Buffel on the chassis of the tank "Leopard 2". ARV Buffel equipped with a crane, bulldozer blade, winches, as well as fueling equipment, which provides the ability to perform a wide range of tasks under enemy fire,
 - Sapper tanks M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle, intended for the construction of fortifications and the destruction of enemy fortifications. The machine is equipped with a 165 mm gun snub for throwing explosive charges, dozer blade, boom crane, winch and trawl MCB to quickly overcome the minefields,
 - Armored sapper Trailblazer, and dozens of ARV vehicle launched bridges and on the basis of infantry fighting vehicle "Bionix».



FV180 Combat Engineer Tractor



Bridgelayer Bionix AVLB



ARV Bionix ARV

Anti-tank weapons and artillery
Army of Singapore to the extent saturated with anti-tank weapons, though the islanders are preparing to Kursk. In addition to the old proven grenade "Carl Gustav", are available in the 4000 modern anti-tank missile complexes SPIKE-LR and MATADOR. Interestingly, the main "potential adversary" of Singapore - Malaysia is armed with their ground forces of 48 tanks PT-91M (Polish modification of the famous T-72).



Even more surprising artillery small island. Apart from the above "Primus", armed with Singapore 230 artillery systems of caliber 155 mm guns and mortars count smaller caliber is not possible. High-tech Singapore came to the point with characteristic practicality: to control artillery fire acquired 10 mobile radars to track the trajectory of enemy missiles and lead counter-battery fire.



Multiple rocket launchers HIMARS caliber 227 mm

As you may have guessed, the exploitation of these huge stockpiles in the country, the size of a half of St. Petersburg, is not possible. Because Singaporean tankers and artillerymen whenever glad to leave the narrow limits of his country to hold large-scale exercises on ranges of the United States and Europe. For example - an annual tank exercises Exercise Panzer Strike on Europe's largest landfill in Bergen (Germany). In addition, Singaporeans tend not to miss the opportunity to participate in peacekeeping operations and wars for the establishment of a democratic order on foreign shores. Afghanistan, Iraq, East Timor ...

Amazing the Singaporean-Malaysian relations: Despite the saber-rattling, threatening statements and 10-fold the military superiority of Singapore, Malaysia, the management enough to close the valve on the pipe with fresh water ... Yes, Singapore is critically dependent on Malaysia. Still, a huge army played a role in ensuring the security of the state: Indonesia and Malaysia, once in all seriousness to make plans to join Singapore, are now afraid to look in the direction of his formidable neighbor.



Source: www.militaryparitet.com