Locally-developed military innovations unveiled
By Dylan Loh, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 30 October 2009 2103 hrs

SINGAPORE: Some of the latest military innovations were unveiled on Friday at the Defence Technology Prize ceremony.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean gave out prizes to the winners at the Biopolis at One-North in Buona Vista.

The award recognises contributions that have helped enhance Singapore's defence capability. Two individuals and five teams received the award this year.

One of the military innovations, the Trailblazer, is a homegrown armoured vehicle used to clear landmines with speed, efficiency and safety.

"What is important is that we must make sure it is safe for use by the crew, in terms of the mine-protected cabin that we designed," said Roger Lim, programme manager (Land Systems), Defence Science and Technology Agency.

He added the vehicle had to be fully tested and "proven" before it is introduced into the service.

The Skyblade 3 is another example of a homegrown hardware, tailored for Singapore's defence needs.

It is an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, which acts as a pair of flying binoculars for reconnaissance and surveillance missions. It is portable enough to be carried by troops into the battlefield.

The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said locally-developed systems have several advantages.

"By developing systems on our own - the fact that we go through the process of developing it, we end up understanding the system a lot more. We know its capabilities, we know its limitations. We know what needs to be done to improve it," said Quek Tong Boon, chief defence scientist, Ministry of Defence, Singapore.

MINDEF also said Singapore aims to be a leader in the application of defence technologies, with such locally-developed military platforms.

- CNA/sc

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1014813/1/.html

in fact I asked on George Yeo's facebook whether Singapore should consider sending some of our automated mine clearing machines to help Sri Lanka with their mine clearing efforts.

no need to go sri lanka... there are closer mine fields like cambodia.

but most of the time... the problem aint about clearing the mine field.... its about finding the mine fields.

it would be fantastic if our UAV got somesort of "sonar" that can detect mine fields while flying.

the new threat these days is IEDs...really hope that that was one of the solutions that we've come up with...

well it was said in the course of his visit to the country, that's why.