SAF soldiers, war machines earn their stripes in Australia

3 new hardware assets put through their paces in challenging Exercise Wallaby conditions

- Ng wei Kai

Hunter gunner Benjamin Shenthil has trained for a year, but had yet to fire the armoured vehicle's hallmark anti-tank guided missile - an explosive, rocket-propelled shell meant to lock on to and destroy heavily armoured targets.

On Sept 24, the full-time national serviceman (NSF) finally got his shot.

After patiently setting up on his target and then getting the command to fire, the 21-year-old unleashed the missile, which flew high into the air before hurtling back to earth, blowing up a target painted on the side of a hill in Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland, Australia training, we had only practised firing the missile using a simulator," said Corporal Shenthil.

"Shooting it in real life is an adrenaline rush." The Hunter an armoured but fast vehicle meant to operate alongside heavier tanks - is not able to fire the anti-tank guided missile in Singapore due to safety constraints.

The Singapore-developed personnel carrier replaces the army's fleet of Ultra M113 armoured fighting vehicles that have been in service since the 1970s.

Two other military assets are participating in the annual Exercise Wallaby for the first time: a new helicopter - the H225M - and an upgraded ground-based air defence system known as the Spyder.

As replacements for older weaponry, the new machines are being field-validated by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in the vast Queensland expanse to integrate them into its forces.