Biggest revamp of soldier's gear
Biggest revamp of soldier's gear
New outfit vital as army's role widens to include protection of key installations, urban warfare and peacekeeping missions
By David Boey, DEFENCE CORRESPONDENT
ALL new recruits going in for Basic Military Training (BMT) are now being issued with new personal equipment in the army's biggest revamp of soldiering gear in decades.
They will receive four new items: a load-bearing vest; a waterproof torchlight with different colour lenses; a new field pack; and a multi-purpose knife with seven functions.
The army introduced the new items to the media yesterday during a visit to the Basic Military Training Centre on Pulau Tekong. Lieutenant- Colonel Kong Kam Yean said the equipment was designed incorporating suggestions from soldiers from seven battalions during two years of trials.
The head of the Plans Branch at Headquarters 9th Singapore Division/Infantry Formation added that the new equipment is necessary as the army's role widens to include protection of strategic installations, urban warfare and peacekeeping missions.
He said: 'This demands that the soldiers' equipment has the flexibility to be configured for different mission profiles, to carry different requirements based on the mission need.'
The new load-bearing vest allows soldiers to carry ammunition and military gear such as night-vision devices and compasses, and secure the pouches anywhere on the vest using straps.
It replaces pouches and straps that form the skeleton battle order (SBO), last changed in 1997. Unlike the old SBO, which could be adjusted only minimally, the new vest has straps at the waist and chest, which ensures a body-hugging fit.
The new field pack, 80 per cent bigger than the existing one but having the same weight, has a big zipper on its front. The old 1980s-era pack could only be top-loaded, meaning soldiers had to pour out its contents to get something from the bottom.
A waterproof torchlight, which can be fitted with red, yellow, blue and green lenses for signalling purposes, and a multi-purpose knife, with tools such as a screwdriver and a can opener, will also form part of the recruit's battle ensemble.
Operationally ready national servicemen will receive these items in phases later this year.
