Hunter AFV

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Hunter Armoured Fighting Vehicle
Hunter AFV of the Singapore Army at National Day Parade 2019 rehearsal
Hunter AFV at Singapore's National Day Parade 2019 rehearsal
TypeArmoured fighting vehicle
Place of originRepublic of Singapore
Service history
In service2019 - present
Used bySingapore Army
Production history
DesignerDefence Science and Technology Agency,
Singapore Army
Designed2006
ManufacturerST Kinetics
Produced2019 - present
Specifications
MassCombat weight: 29.5 tonnes (32.5 short tons; 29.0 long tons)
Length6.9 metres (22 ft 8 in)
Width3.4 m (11 ft 2 in)
Height3.4 m (11 ft 2 in)
Crew3 (Commander, Gunner, Driver)
plus 8 fully-equipped combat troops
Main
armament
Mk44 Bushmaster II 30 mm Cannon in Rafael Samson 30 Remote Controlled Weapon Station, Spike (ATGM)
Secondary
armament
7.62×51mm NATO Coaxial MG , 8 x 76mm smoke grenade launchers.
Power/weight24 hp/tonne
Operational
range
500 km (310 mi)
Maximum speed 70 km/h (43 mph)

The Hunter AFV is a tracked Singaporean armoured fighting vehicle jointly developed by ST Engineering, Defence Science and Technology Agency, and the Singapore Army. Intended to replace the Singapore Army's aging Ultra M113 armoured personnel carriers, it was commissioned in 2019.[1] It is the Singapore Army's first fully digitalised platform and is designed to provide armoured forces with enhanced capabilities to operate more effectively and efficiently in various phases of military operations.

History[]

NGAFV at SAF Army Open House 2017

Development of the Hunter started in 2006 as a project of the Singapore defence ministry's Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA).

In March 2017, Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (ST Engineering) announced that its land systems arm, Singapore Technologies Kinetics Ltd (ST Kinetics), has been awarded a contract by the Singapore Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) for the production and supply of the Next Generation Armoured Fighting Vehicle (NGAFV).

The next generation AFV would replace the Ultra M113 AFV as a key component of the Singapore Armed Forces’ mechanized forces which has been in service with the Singapore Army since the early 70s. Delivery of the AFVs began in 2019. The vehicle would be delivered in troop carrier, command and recovery variants.[2]

The prototype model was exhibited at the Singapore Airshow in 2018.[3]

In June 2019, the Hunter AFV was commissioned for the Singapore Army.[4]

As of mid-2019, the pioneer batch of instructors and commanders are undergoing training, with the first battalion expected to be formed in early 2020. The 42nd Battalion, Singapore Armoured Regiment (42 SAR) has been designated as the first battalion to operate the Hunter.[citation needed]

Variants[]

  • Armoured Fighting Vehicle (30mm and 2 SPIKE-LR2 ATGM)
  • Command Vehicle
  • Armoured Recovery Vehicle (Hunter ARV)
  • Engineer Vehicle (Hunter AEV)
  • Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridge (Hunter AVLB)
  • Cockerill 3105 turret with 105mm gun (For Export)[5]

Design[]

Rear view of production Hunter AFV at National Day Parade 2019 rehearsal

The vehicle has a tracked chassis[4] and is crewed by a commander, a driver, and a gunner. The vehicle is equipped with an integrated combat cockpit, which allows the commander and gunner to use a common set of controls to operate the Hunter, and a drive by wire capability, which allows the vehicle commander to take over driving functions from the driver. The commander and gunners also have independent sights.[6]

The Hunter has an MTU 8V-199 TE20 720hp (530kW) turbocharged diesel engine, & an HMX3000 Hydro-mechanical infinitely variable transmission.[7]

It has InArm Hydro-pneumatic suspension provided by Hortsman of the UK, now a subsidiary of Renk AG.[7]

The AFV mounts an all-round surveillance system with a 360-degree field of vision, enabling closed-hatch operations, as well as a laser warning system.[6]

The Hunter AFV is equipped with the Army Tactical Engagement and Information System (ARTEMIS), a command and control system that allows the crew to operate the vehicle in a fully digitised environment and enabling the wireless exchange of information between vehicles and formations. This is also integrated with the remote controlled weapon station to enable sharing of target information. It is also equipped with a Health and Utilisation Monitoring System (HUMS) to monitor the vehicle's health and allow predictive maintenance.[6]

The Hunter AFV has a remotely controlled Samson Mk II turret from Rafael armed with a 30 mm Mk44 Bushmaster II cannon, with a magazine for 200 30x173mm rounds,[7] two SPIKE anti-tank guided missiles, a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, and eight 76 mm . It has a maximum range of 500 km and speed of 70 km/h.[6]

Operators[]

 Singapore

See also[]

Comparable AFV/IFVs[]

References[]

  1. ^ "New SAF Hunter armoured fighting vehicle commissioned as Armour Formation turns 50". 2019-06-11.
  2. ^ "Mindef Awards ST Kinetics Contract for Next Generation Armoured Fighting Vehicle".
  3. ^ "ST Engineering Next Generation Armoured Fighting Vehicle at Singapore AirShow 2018".
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Hunter Armoured Fighting Vehicle (AFV), Singapore".
  5. ^ "ST Kinetics prepping to hand over bid in US Army's vehicle competition". 14 February 2018.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Fact Sheet: Hunter Armoured Fighting Vehicle".
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c Ruzhelnyk, Olga (2020-02-13). "ST Engineering Hunter IFV close to become operational". EDR Magazine. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
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