Before
the parade, Dr Ng was briefed on the capabilities of the
battalion and witnessed 2 SIR in an urban operations exercise
at Murai Urban Training Facility, operating as part of
a networked and integrated force with support from air
and land platforms. He also viewed some of the urban operations
technology such as keyhole sensors, the Advanced Combat
Man System and the Battlefield Management System.
Speaking at the parade, Dr Ng emphasised the strength
of the 3rd Generation Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) does
not lie in individual pieces of hardware but in the ability
to network an array of systems and capabilities. He said,
"It has demonstrated clearly how individual soldiers,
in the section all the way up to the platoon, battalion,
brigade and division, are now able to sense and communicate
seamlessly with the components of the SAF while on the
move.
The Army’s motorised infantry battalion can now
function at a higher tempo and at longer ranges, covering
a wider area of operations." He added that the "network
allows the SAF to create an overall fighting system that
is flexible and more responsive to the complex demands
of the modern battlefield."
The operationalisation of 2 SIR as the first Motorised
Infantry Battalion is another major milestone in the SAF’s
transformation into a 3rd Generation fighting force. 2
SIR will operate the Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicle,
which provides infantry forces with enhanced protection,
mobility and firepower as well as networks soldiers and
other air and land weapon platforms.
Also
present at the parade were Senior Parliamentary Secretary
for Defence and National Development Dr Mohamad Maliki
Bin Osman, Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Neo
Kian Hong, Chief of Army Brigadier-General Ravinder Singh
and other senior officers from the SAF.
