Tag Archives: ST Kinetics

Ground Forces

THeMIS at the Battlefield

According to Defense-aerospace.com, Milrem, the Estonian defence solutions provider, and ST Kinetics, one of Asia’s leading land systems companies, came one step closer to helping support or replace soldiers on the battlefield with robots in November when they successfully tested the first weaponized fully modular unmanned ground vehicle, the THeMIS ADDER.

The THeMIS ADDER unmanned ground vehicle during field tests. Claimed to be the first fully modular hybrid unmanned ground vehicle in the world, it combines the THeMIS vehicle and the ADDER remote weapon station from ST Kinetics (Milrem photo)
The THeMIS ADDER unmanned ground vehicle during field tests. Claimed to be the first fully modular hybrid unmanned ground vehicle in the world, it combines the THeMIS vehicle and the ADDER remote weapon station from ST Kinetics (Milrem photo)

With the aim to minimize human casualties and support existing ground troops, the two companies have been jointly developing a weaponized unmanned vehicle for some time now. During November, however, with the cooperation and supervision of the Estonian Defence Forces first live fire test of the vehicle were conducted.

«The tests were intended to test the stability of our platform and see how the remote weapon station and vehicle communicate and work with each other», explained Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem. «To our satisfaction everything worked perfectly, you can see as much from the video», he added.

The THeMIS ADDER was equipped with a CIS 50MG. However, the system can be outfitted with smaller and larger caliber weapons as well.

«Estonians have proved many times before that we can successfully be on the forefront of innovation and the Milrem unmanned ground vehicle is a great example of that innovation when it comes to new technologies in the military field», said Lieutenant General Riho Terras, Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces. «THeMIS ADDER has great potential to put Estonia on the map of countries that provide new technologies and solutions to the modern battlefield», Terras added.

The THeMIS ADDER features the first fully modular hybrid unmanned ground vehicle in the world the THeMIS and the remote weapon station ADDER from ST Kinetics.

The TheMIS has a payload of 1,653-2,205 lbs/750-1000 kg, speed of 15 mph/24 km/h and up to 10 h operation time. In addition to being a machine gun on tracks the vehicle can be used for a wide variety of applications, including remote reconnaissance platform, Counter Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) platform, medevac vehicle and supply delivery device.

Ground Forces

Protected Combat
Support Vehicle

Second Minister for Defence of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Mr. Ong Ye Kung officiated at a ceremony to mark the commissioning of the Belrex Protected Combat Support Vehicle (PCSV) at the SAFTI Live Firing Area this afternoon.

Developed by Singapore’s DSTA and ST Kinetics Ltd, the Belrex Protected Combat Support Vehicle will equip Singapore’s motorized infantry units (S’Pore MoD photo)
Developed by Singapore’s DSTA and ST Kinetics Ltd, the Belrex Protected Combat Support Vehicle will equip Singapore’s motorized infantry units (S’Pore MoD photo)

Mr. Ong lauded the commissioning of the Belrex PCSV as a significant milestone in the Army’s motorisation efforts and the Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF’s) transformation into an integrated third generation fighting force. He said, «The Belrex PCSV is more agile, versatile, offers stronger fire power, better protection, and greater situational awareness. With the Belrex platform, our infantry forces will be more effective, and can better adapt to the changing nature of the modern battlefield». Mr. Ong also noted that the full suite of C4 systems on board allows the Belrex PCSV to be «linked to Army Headquarters and their fighting forces, and further enhance the SAF’s networked and integrated fighting force. The Belrex platform is the proud creation of Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and Singapore Technologies Kinetics (ST Kinetics) Ltd, and demonstrates our indigenous capability». Mr. Ong also underscored the professionalism and unwavering commitment of our servicemen, which has remained key to the successful realisation of this new capability.

The Belrex PCSV provides the SAF’s motorised infantry combat support and combat service support forces with improved firepower, protection and situational awareness, thereby enhancing the SAF’s precision manoeuvre capabilities. It is equipped with a C4 (command, control, communications and computer) suite of systems to facilitate efficient information exchange via the Army Battlefield Internet, and enables the SAF’s motorised infantry forces to fight together in an integrated manner. The introduction of the Belrex PCSV follows that of other platforms such as the Peacekeeper Protected Response Vehicle and Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicle, as part of the Army’s ongoing Third Generation transformation efforts.

Also present at the ceremony were Chief of Army Major-General Melvyn Ong, senior officers from the SAF, and senior officials from the DSTA.

Belrex Protected Combat Support Vehicle
Belrex Protected Combat Support Vehicle

 

Key Features

NUMBER OF CREW
Operating of Platform 2
Cabin Up to 8
MEASUREMENT
Length 23.78 feet/7.25 m
Width 8.53 feet/2.60 m
Height 9.02 feet/2.75 m
Weight 44,092.5 lbs/20 tons
Power to Weight Ratio 14.8 hp/ton
MOBILITY
Maximum Speed 68 mph/110 km/h
Range 373 miles/600 km
Vertical Step Clearance 15.7 inch/0.40 m
Trench Clearance 37.4 inch/0.95 m
Maximum Front Slope 60%

 

Ground Forces

Terrex IFV family

According to Kelvin Wong, IHS Jane’s International Defence Review correspondent, Singapore Technologies (ST) Kinetics, the land systems division of state-affiliated defence prime ST Engineering, is seeking to expand its global 8×8 armoured vehicle footprint with the Terrex family of Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs), which now includes three distinct platforms with Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) ratings ranging from 24-35 tonnes.

All three members of the ST Kinetics 8×8 Terrex armoured vehicle family pictured together for the very first time. From left: the 24-tonne Terrex 1 which is in service with the Singapore Army; the 35-tonne Australian Land 400 Phase 2 contender Terrex 3/Sentinel II; and the 30-tonne Terrex 2 that has been optimised for amphibious operations, one of the two finalists downselected for the US Marine Corps ACV 1.1 programme
All three members of the ST Kinetics 8×8 Terrex armoured vehicle family pictured together for the very first time. From left: the 24-tonne Terrex 1 which is in service with the Singapore Army; the 35-tonne Australian Land 400 Phase 2 contender Terrex 3/Sentinel II; and the 30-tonne Terrex 2 that has been optimised for amphibious operations, one of the two finalists downselected for the US Marine Corps ACV 1.1 programme

Senior ST Kinetics executives asserted during a closed press briefing on 22 July – which also commemorated an occasion where all three current members of the Terrex family were displayed together for the first time – that the company’s sustained efforts in capability development will enable it to meet the growing spectrum of operational requirements from international customers.

Winston Toh, ST Kinetics executive vice-president and chief marketing officer, told that the company’s 8×8 vehicles have also garnered interest from countries in the Middle East as well as North and South America, in addition to the Australian Army Project Land 400 Phase 2 and US Marine Corps (USMC) Amphibious Combat Vehicle Phase 1 Increment 1 (ACV 1.1) programmes that it is currently pursuing with overseas industry partners.

«We have adopted different business models to cater to the customers’ needs», Toh explained. «For example, we are the vehicle OEM but we are providing our partners with design and engineering capabilities to support in-country manufacturing … which helps manage cost and risk for the customer».

Toh admitted that while Terrex has yet to make inroads in the Asia Pacific region outside of Singapore, ST Kinetics has leveraged on its experience with Terrex to provide technical advice and consultancy services to Thailand’s Defence Technical Institute’s (DTI’s) indigenous 24-tonne 8×8 Black Widow Spider armoured vehicle development for the Royal Thai Army (RTA).