SG/SAF is 1 of the few nations which has embark on give the "lowly" foot soldier a edge and level of technology to win and defend better than ever before.




Communication Keypad:
I dun really like the small buttons of the communication keypad, I dare to say any solider with or without gloves will find it hard to press the correct buttons. Bad things can happen if the wrong buttons are pushed. (blue on blue kill)


Midef website for ACMS

Agreed. The "radio" doesn't look rugged enough as well.

Maybe they will improve on it?

btw , does anyone know what is he wearing on the helmet ?

at first i thought it was an NVG and was about to post how ridiculous it is to wear an NVG and wear a tinted goggles at the same time. the curvature of the google lens makes it hard to see anything clearly if the interior of the googles dosent fog up.

but is it a Helmed mounted one-eye display (is that even the right term?) give greater sit awareness and all that ?

still its quite cheesy. how does one wear a tinted goggles and see through the curved lens the HMD(helmet mounted display)?

interesting to note that the SAR 21 MMS has a uniform too. does anyone know if thats the MILES set for it or "uniform" ?

if its really a "uniform" for the SAR21, more stuff to wash after outfield. clean clothes still must clean the SAR21 clothes too.

here goes, stars!

you're right, IINM it is a helmet-mounted monocular (ie. "one-eye") display. however, it is not an NVG and i dont think ACMS has any intrinsic NVG capability. basically it's the visual interface to display output from the rifle-mounted camera and the CPU on the soldier's back, presenting navigation, comms and other information and cues.

shouldn't be a problem... to use a poor analogy, i can still see clearly my handphone screen through my reflective-tinted Oakleys even on a bright day.

it's likely not a MILES, seems to me to be the attachment/cover for the data cable between the CPU and the rifle-mounted camera/keypad. in camo for tactical reasons. should be quite easy to clean la, probably just dirt-resistant plastic/fabric.

ahh.. i see i see. thanks for the confirmation.

i have several sets of the googles that were issued. i dont rate them useful. frankly, the clear lens were bad enough. much less the tinted ones.they scratch very easily, collect alot of dirt and fog up very quickly (supposedly treated with anti-fog but for the 3 that i got issued, same old problem)

i was thinking, how to see when its fogged up/dirty ? at least when u wear a sunglasses/oakley [shades i presume ?] the gap between the eye and the lens is maybe 1 cm ? but the gap between the monocular display and the eye with the googles is about 2-3cm. plus with the size of the display, under combat conditions, with presumably dirty lens from all the rifle firing and sweat and grime from bashing around.

plus, tinted goggles in indoor/urban conditions are a big nono, cant see anything in the shadows. its like wearing sunglasses at night.

but then again, its just a promo/advert kinda image, probably reading too much into it/making a mountain out of a molehill

They should make goggles with perforated sides and tops so that hot air doesn't collect. It's not as if you would be diving with these goggles and they need to be air tight.

The camo cloth on the rifle has "IA" written all over it.

Sometimes I feel this new camo is very close to the JGSDF in terms of tone.

Regarding the signal set, if you are referring to the unit at the back, then the issue of robustness is not there. During my NSF stint in 2004, this set by the name of PRC610 is already being introduced into our Bn. It is definitely a quantum leap from the previous PRC732 we used. It is at least half the size of the old unit, less bulky, and the batteries used are smaller. It is fully digital as compared to the previous analog set, more pre-set channels and if I did not remember wrongly, this set has the ability to delete the pre-existing channels, thus makes it useful as it prevents the enemy from knowing your setting in the events of POW. The most important thing is, it comes with a proper bandolieer, thus no need to stuff it into the water bottle pouch as of the previous and the earpiece is those stuffed into the ear type.

I am sure there is still room for improvement for the current version. After all we have came a long way for the ACMS since it first began.

... by the time of my entry into OCS in 2006, the 610 was like old news with batteries that couldn't hold a charge, couldn't be latched properly onto the set, ear pieces that were missing the ear piece (just the wire :P) and no bandolier-- those who had to hold it for exercises put it into one of the SBO webbing magazine pouches. Its amazing how quickly items degrade in the Army!!

Strange ... I had goggles issued with perforations round the side/top. Wonder how many batches they produced?

That camo cloth for the ACMS/SAR21 is just asking for trouble ... looking at the way it twists about, it is so easy for it to block the extraction of rounds and cause all kinds of IA. Doesn't matter too much if the owner is busy pushing buttons I guess.

Mebbe the JGSDF intends to operate in the same AoO :D

[edit: formatting]

Its called "Ai swee mai miah."

Okay, the logic is this. You wear a tinted dark goggles, everything will appear dark. So to compensate for this, you need a night vision goggle. Simple.

Its like the Solar-Powered Flashlight. Under the sun, the torchlight works under solar power and can shine forever.

But at night, you need another torchlight to shine at the solar power cells so that the Solar Powered Flashlight can be used.

yea...

haha, has anyone seen the new SAF army commercial ? the steel within ? 2 commercials this year already ! 1 with the officer running marathon and doing SOC.

the new one got allusions to spartans (6SIR). quite nice.

ACMS makes a guest appearance too. the Lim chu kang FIBUA area appears too (not the new one, the converted HDB apartments)

The Spartans should be the 5th SIR in Maju as I go there for IPPT.

I think ACMS designer should see if the huge rubber wiring/connectors attached to gun/eye piece/portable computer pack can be reduce.

hmm ?

i thought 6th is a POI battalion ? the one with spartans as their logo ?

Spartan is 6 SIR tasked with POI at Maju camp.

5 SIR is the stingray.

HTH.

any one knows if the old FIBUA Village in Area E is still there?

the one made out of containers and some prefab buildings ? yeap its still there.

I believe that is the old Neo Tiew Estate. Brings back memories... :D

i remembered eating at the hawker center/wet market.

weirdest place. so far out in the ulu areas. like almost noone there/=

prefab buildings, but no containers. maybe added later.

6SIR is Maju and Clementi (1 company) or so the last time i was there

6 SIR Maju Camp NSF.

Clementi Camp NSman.

Finally serious money is going into equipping the army with ACMS.

http://www.stengg.com/pressroom/press_rele....aspx?paid=1392

Assuming the advanced manned combat system costs between S$10k-S$20k (probably more), that could mean 5000 to 10000 units entering the army.

3 out of every 7 men in a standard infantry section will have ACMS components. The above estimate is likely to be sufficient to equip a large part of the SAF. Every brigade has ~81 infantry sections. 30 brigades will have ~2430 sections.

The new release indicates that the deal will be completed by 2012.

Features of ACMS

http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/news_and_...08_photos2.html

http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/news_and_...5sep08_fs2.html

I hope DSTA/ST have improved the ACMS system since it was unveiled - as the version unveiled was rather bulky.

IMHO, the portable computer part of the ACMS system will become outdated every 18 months - so this contract will be the start of a ST work in progress that never ends. The first ACMS order should be enough for 1 brigade. The SAF will need to try out the ACMS system V1.0 before improving it.

I'm not so sure.

Sensor integration software won't need to tweak unless new sensors enter service. Modular packages may cater for such mods.

Things like digital maps won't need updating that frequently.

New tech may make things lighter, smaller, more efficient eg greater data capacity and transmission speeds but won't make the hardware unusable. Obsolete maybe but that's the way all weapons and computer systems will go.

The fact that it will be introduced already gives the combat soldier an advantage over other armies that haven't integrated such capabilities yet. Its use may dictate the future direction but I agree that it gives ST a heads up on future deals.

The order is definitely for more than 1 bde ($100m for 243 systems mean ~$0.5m per system. SAF never this generous when it comes to equipping the avg infantry soldier.) They have already tested it so this is likely the main order.

I think I can understand you point of view but I differ a little in the way I see the details.

The news report on the contract award - specifies a 3-4 year contract delivery period, which means it is a phased introduction of the ACMS (but the press release provides no additional contract details). After the first few operational units (or an active brigade), to further validate its utility and to see if there are any problems. Thereafter, I believe that ACMS will also need to be introduced at Officer and infantry NCO schools, followed by other follow on units/brigades.

I suspect the contract award may contain some further development monies and also money to maintain and refurbish used systems - as the SAF has said in the past that we will engage in spiral development. I'm not privy to any non-open source information on the ACMS contract award so I'm reluctant to speculate further beyond what I wrote earlier - as i don't have any supporting public source info.

I agree that a phased service entry is likely. The ACMS has been on trial since as early as 2004 under 3 SIR/9DIV. With 9DIV responsible for infantry training, I wouldn't be too concerned about training esp with the new murai urban training facility.

Check out the first 6 minutes of the video which explain how it works.
http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/resources...s/2008/oct.html

Thanks for the links.

What the Singapore army needs with the ACMS is the HULC exoskeleton so that our soldiers do not feel like they are over loaded. And if there is a thunderstorm, the ACMS solider can become a great lightning conductor. :)

HULC exoskeleton Video

Thanks for the video link! I think that more improvements can definitely be made-- it seems like there are way too many buttons, and probably hard to hit the right button with gloves on unlike what is shown in the video (as those who have been to cold countries and tried to sms with gloves on will know). I won't know until I get to use the thing though. I also wish there could be a hands free TRS for every soldier in the section, in addition to the ACMS gear for the squad leaders and above! I also wish that the 940, 610s and TRS can use a set of common frequencies/encryptions so that nobody has to carry/manage more than 1 radio set! That's my pie in the sky dream at least. :P

However, I wouldn't be too starry-eyed about the capabilities that ACMS gives us. While it is a leap forward, the US experience in Iraq/Afghanistan has shown that even with their level of NCW and sensor integration, friendly fire incidents and collateral damage will still occur, especially when your enemy hides among the civilian population. Their own version of the ACMS also didn't do too well in Iraq last year.

Too much security risk. Lose one radio set and common frequency allows tap in to the entire network. With GPS locators built in, that means every single section can be located.

For a person who has incredibly poor map reading skills, I can appreciate the GPS cum digital maps function.

The camera also has huge recon potential. I used to think how nice it would be to have laser designators at every section. However, with the ACMS+GPS, that's almost the same. The camera ids the target allowing airborne designators or arty to come into play fairly quickly. A picture's worth a thousand words and that's transmitted even if the section, touch wood, gets wiped out. Response times can now be measured in possibly low single digit minutes.

The GPS also reduces losses from friendly fire due to incorrect grid location.

I agree its not a cure all but its a value adder that breathes life into the active/reservist infantry role. It also incentivises acquisition of more precision shooters eg GMLRS or other precision munitions for arty.

So many types of batteries right now for the electronics - we need better battery tech. In another thread, spiderweb6969 posted info from Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies, which seems to be a promising advance to solve our battery problems. What do you think?

The HULC's battery operated. At 53lbs, its not that light either and there's a speed limit. And the weight is distributed between front and back loads which means firing positions in prone is going to be difficult (+ the enemy's gonna spot a soldier in prone with a huge backpack sticking up). It can't be taken off that easily. And 53lbs of deadweight when the batteries go flat which SAF will probably require one to lug otherwise 1206 will probably bankrupt the avg soldier.

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/data/assets/...MFC_HULC_PC.pdf

The device is primarily to assist in really heavy loads and that's something that the standard infantry soldier does not carry at the moment. With standard full pack under 30 lbs (15 kgs), that makes 170 lbs of un-used weight or else everyone have to carry more.

If one needs more matadors, 84mm rounds, then it makes sense just to port it with a jeep, truck, LSV, apc or even a newfangled foldable military bicycle.

Might make sense for mountainous or very deep jungle areas where transport isn't that accessible. However, I would see issues going upwards on slopes.

Ultimately, it also boils down to a question of cost. Unlikely to be cheap at the moment as not in service with any country. Judging by Cyberdene's HAL, whose price tag is bet US$40-60k at the moment (though trying to get cost down to under $10k through mass production), costs are likely to mirror that considering military apps generally cost more.

But it might feasible in the future (I'm talking decades here).

I'm guessing that Grunt wasn't being particularly serious about the HULC.

The fuel cells might be a good idea, especially with the refillable fuel cartridges. As with everything else though, cost might be prohibitive.

I can't recall the model type of the radio set they use, which looks like to me the key component of the ACMS (PRC smth? can't recall), but there is a function to entirely erase the electronics inside the signal set, rendering its circuit boards nothing but melted silicon...there shouldn't be GPS devices in that thingy, in fact my understanding is that it does not communicate directly from one ACMS to the next, but does so via something so that the aforementioned scenario does not happen ;)

as for the value adder, I'd say its a very big one. Trust me, I've worked on BX2s :D btw the signal set I mentioned earlier is actually quite light, much better than the 10? kg PRC we used to carry...

@weasel1962, thanks for the additional HULC info.

IMHO, nothing very unique about ACMS in concept, as compared to the Land Warrior being developed for the US Army. Popular Mechanics has a 2007 article on why US soldiers don't like it. BTW, I quite amused, there's even a Malaysian defence blog with comments on the ACMS.

The US version is called the Land Warrior and I'll like to link 2 more recent articles on the topic below:

1. Land Warrior: Now or later? on Army Times.

2. Land Warrior's After Action Report on Ares.

Hopefully someone who has used the ACMS will post his opinion at some point. I've MRed - so no more chance to try out new toys.

One of the ADJ issue mentioned that the ATM are also studying in to this concept and their uniform may go digital....i'll paste it later, maybe weekend too bz....

This older article explains some of the history regarding ACMS which began as early as 1998.

http://www.soldiermod.com/summer-08/prog-acms.html

"reaction times drop from 20 minutes to less than 6"

Its not easy for an army like ATM to insert such tech. Dun forget SG has been focussing and improving networking for decades now. The ACMS is only the logical tail end of a very long process and investment.

Even if ACMS-like system were to enter service with the ATM, supporting assets eg air, helo, precision arty, logistics, training, network security, network integration, use of GPS, etc are either non-existent or currently ill-equipped to maximise the utility of such a system. Its a highly tailored system.

ATM is barely getting into combined arms formations. SAF is already way, way past that and it will take a lot of $$$ of investment and time by the ATM or other regional armies to match that.

i'm not saying they are getting it NOW....what i read is they are studying in to it, they may still take 10 or 20 yrs AFTER studying it and it still depend on future recession, budget constrain, new political party take over or weapon are ban by the UN or finally armageddon comes early. Beside, even if they bought it of the shelf, any new system still take 10 to 20 yrs to master.

I agree.

The following Bernama news report late last year did indicate that they were looking at some form of a future soldier system.

http://www.malaysiandefence.com/?p=460

Just highlighting that even if they did implement it, its not going to be cheap, easy or fast. Considering that SG took 11 yrs from concept to purchase, it's unlikely to be anytime soon.