The Watcher
New Member
Long article, pretty much details the changes to singapor army artillery, etc.:
Singapore Artillery, the oldest arm in the SAF, is undergoing a journey of transformation. The destination: becoming The Precision Force that would further enhance its mission of providing continuous, timely and accurate fire support for the SAF's combined arms operations.
Working efficiently and silently, the formation dubbed as "King of the Battlefield" and honoured with the motto of "In Oriente Primus" ('First in the East') looks set to conquer the future with a bang, as Chief Artillery Officer, Col.. Lim Teck Huat, shares the vision of The Precision Force.
A PRIMER IN PRECISION OPERATIONS
Indeed, all gunners in the Singapore Artillery follow the credo of "on time, on target", as artillery support in the form of accurate and timely fire can lend significant weight to any assault. Piling on the pounds is the latest addition to its arsenal: the 155mm Self-Propelled Howitzer, which has been christened Primus. The feature-packed gun was commissioned on 24 Nov and has already been tagged as a technological accomplishment.
Col. Lim explained: "With enhanced command and control features as well as significant automation, the Primus fully exploits cutting-edge technological solutions to deliver accurate fire."
Elaborating on the impetus behind the drive towards becoming The Precision Force, Col. Lim
LTC Lee Ngian Sang, Commander, 6th Division Artillery and Head, General Staff Branch, HQ SA, agreed: "The unique feature of the vision of 'Precision Force' is that we not only focus on our professional ability to adapt and adopt new technologies, and being able to provide timely and responsive support and precision fire to commanders; we also emphasise the close-knit Artillery family, the quality relationships we enjoy as well as the values we espouse."
SHARING A CHALLENGING JOURNEY
"The journey towards The Precision Force is to be undertaken by each and every member of the Singapore Artillery," said Col. Ng Kok Wan, Commander, 3rd Division Artillery. He added: "It requires us to bring all stakeholders on board, to recognise where we are, where we should go, and how we should go to reach the goal."
Col. Ng also acknowledged that the transformation would involve hard work, consolidating and finding knowledge, refining and exploring new processes and improvisation of new ways of doing things that are more effective and efficient.
"We also need to learn new skills, to innovate new processes, to learn new capabilities," said Col. Lim. "At times, it would involve a change in mindset, in the way we view and do things. It involves bringing our curiosity to the fore and thinking out of the box, creating new solutions to current and new challenges."
SHARING A COMMON VISION
However, LTC Allan Pang, Commander, 79 Artillery Support Group, HQ Singapore Artillery, is confident the rich tradition that binds the formation will serve it well.
On the core discipline required for the journey, LTC Pang said: "To achieve the vision of the Precision Force, we need to consolidate our knowledge, to be able to execute current skills and capabilities very well." He added: "We do not only tell our people what to do, but we will continue to train them by telling them why we do certain things in certain ways. By understanding the intent, we believe our gunners will be able to innovate and propose even more creative solutions."
In modern warfare, the firepower and might of artillery serves as an important launchpad for an assault. More importantly, being precise and accurate has taken on a deeper significance as errors can have lethal effects. LTC Leong Kwok Lung, Head, Weapons Staff Branch, G5-Army, said: "The artillery is called 'King of the Battlefield', and for a good reason."
With targeting zeroed to measurements in mils (angular unit used in artillery, equal to 1/6400 of a complete revolution) rather than degrees, rounds targeted in conventional firing ranges land within 50m of targets.
"In our field artillery systems, the meticulousness in computation of firing data, the laying of guns, the preparation of the correct mix of ammunition; fired at the correct target at the correct time required, is what amounts to precision," said LTC Leong, who is also Commander of 9th Division Artillery.
DRILLING PRECISION
When asked if the transformation into The Precision Force is complete, Chief Artillery Officer, Col. Lim said: "This transformation is a journey, a challenging journey. It is the process that is important, as we groom generations of gunners, to have a common shared focus where we can channel our collective energies towards," he added.
Significantly echoing Col. Lim's vision, the target of the Precision Force is shared by all quarters in the Singapore Artillery and is within sight.
At the School of Artillery, a culture of openness is cultivated early among young trainees joining the formation, many of whom would eventually form the backbone of the formation's formidable guns.
Commanding Officer of the school, LTC Tan Chong Boon, said: "Other than providing trainees with the basic knowledge and skills, we also develop each of them to be a professional gunner with Artillery values. These include professionalism, teamwork and fighting spirit."
The basic tenets of an effective artillery unit rest on achieving good speed and accuracy in their deployments and delivery of fire. "Such emphasis on accuracy in their deployments helps as we move towards being a precision force," said LTC Tan.
According to SSG Erick Chng, an instructor at the school, unifying artillery trainees to share the common goal of the Precision Force is "not a very difficult task. Regardless of NSFs or NSmen, a correct attitude and culture must be cultivated in the first place," SSG Chng explained.
He went on to elaborate that this was necessary as the weapons involved were complex and automated systems required meticulous handling so that precision and safety would not be compromised.
According to 3SG Charles Ambrose, a Detachment Commander in 21st Battalion, Singapore Artillery (21SA), the foundation built at the school has been tremendously useful. "The training received at the School of Artillery was intense. There were a lot of exercises to help us build confidence."
Commanding a crew of four and the Primus can be a daunting task for the pioneering commanders and gunners of 21SA, the current operational guardians of the gun. 3SG Ambrose added that initiative is a key factor during operations. "We are well prepared in the procedures. But things do change and we have to be quick on the spot," he said.
PTE Edric Cheang echoed this: "I believe we are more than competent in executing firing missions. We've gone through numerous tests and examinations which have equipped us with valuable knowledge," he explained. "I can safely say we are ready."
SSG Chng added: "In terms of mentality, when they come in for a purpose and they know why, they'll be able to accept the training."
Formation Regimental Sergeant Major, SWO Lau Peck Woh, agreed. He said that training towards The Precision Force cannot be conducted like a lecture, but encompasses all aspects, starting from the basic and what may seem minute and unimportant details.
"In the field, there must be field discipline, from care of equipment to care for the soldier," said SWO Lau. "When they take care of the gun, the gun can be fired any time. When the driver takes care of the vehicle, the vehicle can move out any time. When soldiers know the rationale behind things, they will be willing to do the hard work."
Passing on the legacy
To ensure that the rich vein of experience and wisdom of the senior warrant officers in the Singapore Artillery is preserved, a systematic sharing of knowledge and co-learning was initiated a year ago.
The brainchild of Col. Lim, the Managing Artillery Subject Matter Expertise (MASTERS) programme involves the documentation and consolidation of technical and tactical knowledge in various aspects of artillery operation.
Spearheaded by experienced senior warrant officers in the formation, regular sessions are held to aid the promulgation of important lessons to various groups in the formation's warrant officer and specialist corps.
SWO Lau put it simply: "We realised that when a lot of good old staff retire, they take with them all the knowledge. Like Chinese kung fu, a sifu only teaches you nine sets of skills out of ten, keeping the last one. In the end, all the skills are lost. Either that, or things become simplified or modified. The original is lost. We needed to have the senior gunners transfer their knowledge, skills and experience to their juniors," he added.
SWO Lau, who is also in the Secretariat for the current programme, is one who has personally benefited from MASTERS. "Today, many people learn from many ways, many different kinds of experiences," he observed. "But there are many things one cannot learn from books. It's only from experiences that people have been through and shared with us that makes it easier for the younger specialists to learn more things faster."
Col. Lim said: "MASTERS recognises that the warrant officers - who stay in service till 55 - are the repository of our technical knowledge. Such personnel development is critical to Singapore Artillery, as it seeks to train WOSEs to be mentally agile, to be able and prepared to handle new technology and capabilities," stress Col. Lim.
As Head, Weapons Staff Branch, G5 Army, LTC Leong works closely with HQ Singapore Artillery to achieve the aim of being a Precision Force.
"Towards the late 1990s, we have improved gun laying and ballistic computation with the development of the moving directors and fire control computer respectively," said LTC Leong.
Indeed, since the days of manual gunnery and pure tube artillery, Singapore Artillery has come a long way in terms of taking advantage of the latest technological developments.
Col. Lim said: "The Artillery is perhaps one of the most technical branches in the Army, and we have many opportunities to take advantage of technology. We have been able to exploit technology to enable us to have better comprehensive awareness. It also permits us to have an integrated sensor-shooter link, at various levels of commands, cemented by good doctrine and training," he explained.
Commanding Officer, School of Artillery, LTC Tan, said: "We cannot undermine the importance of the men behind the machines. The selection of weapon system and making the decision to engage the target in close proximity of civilian objects are still the function of the men."
It is without a doubt that technology's place in Singapore Artillery is something the leadership and gunners have learnt to embrace. According to Col. Lim, technology has helped overcome the disadvantages brought upon by operational demands such as fatigue and information overload.
"In the final analysis, it is a balance that we have to achieve, in order to exploit both technology as well as the benefits human operators offer," he concluded.
ARTILLERY RECEIVES NEW PRECISION GUN
The Singapore Artillery's latest acquisition was commissioned by Minister for Defence, RADM (NS) Teo Chee Hean, at Kranji Camp on 24 Nov. The 155mm Self-Propelled Howitzer, named Primus, boasts several key operational advantages that promise to take the SAF artillery operations to another level. These include enhanced mobility, firepower and survivability.
Mounted on an armoured chasis that provides significant protection for the crew of four (as compared to a crew of eight for towed guns such as the FH-2000), the Primus also houses numerous cutting-edge technological features.
The onboard Inertial Navigational Systems (INS) and Ballistics calculation software allow the Primus to be constantly updated on its own whereabouts and firing direction, providing for autonomous operations in location determination and firing solution computation.
Situation awareness is also greatly enhanced as the Command Control Information Systems (CCIS) provides location information of other Primus guns in the area of operations, which is linked to the corresponding Battery Command Post.
-Singapore Ministry of Defence
Singapore Artillery, the oldest arm in the SAF, is undergoing a journey of transformation. The destination: becoming The Precision Force that would further enhance its mission of providing continuous, timely and accurate fire support for the SAF's combined arms operations.
Working efficiently and silently, the formation dubbed as "King of the Battlefield" and honoured with the motto of "In Oriente Primus" ('First in the East') looks set to conquer the future with a bang, as Chief Artillery Officer, Col.. Lim Teck Huat, shares the vision of The Precision Force.
A PRIMER IN PRECISION OPERATIONS
said Col. Lim).
Indeed, all gunners in the Singapore Artillery follow the credo of "on time, on target", as artillery support in the form of accurate and timely fire can lend significant weight to any assault. Piling on the pounds is the latest addition to its arsenal: the 155mm Self-Propelled Howitzer, which has been christened Primus. The feature-packed gun was commissioned on 24 Nov and has already been tagged as a technological accomplishment.
Col. Lim explained: "With enhanced command and control features as well as significant automation, the Primus fully exploits cutting-edge technological solutions to deliver accurate fire."
Elaborating on the impetus behind the drive towards becoming The Precision Force, Col. Lim
Col. Lim added that there is an air of excitement as the members of the formation have taken well to the effort, claiming collective ownership in the formation-wide drive.
LTC Lee Ngian Sang, Commander, 6th Division Artillery and Head, General Staff Branch, HQ SA, agreed: "The unique feature of the vision of 'Precision Force' is that we not only focus on our professional ability to adapt and adopt new technologies, and being able to provide timely and responsive support and precision fire to commanders; we also emphasise the close-knit Artillery family, the quality relationships we enjoy as well as the values we espouse."
SHARING A CHALLENGING JOURNEY
"The journey towards The Precision Force is to be undertaken by each and every member of the Singapore Artillery," said Col. Ng Kok Wan, Commander, 3rd Division Artillery. He added: "It requires us to bring all stakeholders on board, to recognise where we are, where we should go, and how we should go to reach the goal."
Col. Ng also acknowledged that the transformation would involve hard work, consolidating and finding knowledge, refining and exploring new processes and improvisation of new ways of doing things that are more effective and efficient.
"We also need to learn new skills, to innovate new processes, to learn new capabilities," said Col. Lim. "At times, it would involve a change in mindset, in the way we view and do things. It involves bringing our curiosity to the fore and thinking out of the box, creating new solutions to current and new challenges."
SHARING A COMMON VISION
However, LTC Allan Pang, Commander, 79 Artillery Support Group, HQ Singapore Artillery, is confident the rich tradition that binds the formation will serve it well.
On the core discipline required for the journey, LTC Pang said: "To achieve the vision of the Precision Force, we need to consolidate our knowledge, to be able to execute current skills and capabilities very well." He added: "We do not only tell our people what to do, but we will continue to train them by telling them why we do certain things in certain ways. By understanding the intent, we believe our gunners will be able to innovate and propose even more creative solutions."
In modern warfare, the firepower and might of artillery serves as an important launchpad for an assault. More importantly, being precise and accurate has taken on a deeper significance as errors can have lethal effects. LTC Leong Kwok Lung, Head, Weapons Staff Branch, G5-Army, said: "The artillery is called 'King of the Battlefield', and for a good reason."
"However, with increasing urbanisation, we cannot use artillery as in the past without resulting in collateral damage. As such, it is important to improve the precision of artillery fire," explained LTC Leong. "Precision firing is one of the cornerstones in Army Transformation."
With targeting zeroed to measurements in mils (angular unit used in artillery, equal to 1/6400 of a complete revolution) rather than degrees, rounds targeted in conventional firing ranges land within 50m of targets.
"In our field artillery systems, the meticulousness in computation of firing data, the laying of guns, the preparation of the correct mix of ammunition; fired at the correct target at the correct time required, is what amounts to precision," said LTC Leong, who is also Commander of 9th Division Artillery.
DRILLING PRECISION
When asked if the transformation into The Precision Force is complete, Chief Artillery Officer, Col. Lim said: "This transformation is a journey, a challenging journey. It is the process that is important, as we groom generations of gunners, to have a common shared focus where we can channel our collective energies towards," he added.
Significantly echoing Col. Lim's vision, the target of the Precision Force is shared by all quarters in the Singapore Artillery and is within sight.
At the School of Artillery, a culture of openness is cultivated early among young trainees joining the formation, many of whom would eventually form the backbone of the formation's formidable guns.
Commanding Officer of the school, LTC Tan Chong Boon, said: "Other than providing trainees with the basic knowledge and skills, we also develop each of them to be a professional gunner with Artillery values. These include professionalism, teamwork and fighting spirit."
he added.
The basic tenets of an effective artillery unit rest on achieving good speed and accuracy in their deployments and delivery of fire. "Such emphasis on accuracy in their deployments helps as we move towards being a precision force," said LTC Tan.
According to SSG Erick Chng, an instructor at the school, unifying artillery trainees to share the common goal of the Precision Force is "not a very difficult task. Regardless of NSFs or NSmen, a correct attitude and culture must be cultivated in the first place," SSG Chng explained.
He went on to elaborate that this was necessary as the weapons involved were complex and automated systems required meticulous handling so that precision and safety would not be compromised.
According to 3SG Charles Ambrose, a Detachment Commander in 21st Battalion, Singapore Artillery (21SA), the foundation built at the school has been tremendously useful. "The training received at the School of Artillery was intense. There were a lot of exercises to help us build confidence."
Commanding a crew of four and the Primus can be a daunting task for the pioneering commanders and gunners of 21SA, the current operational guardians of the gun. 3SG Ambrose added that initiative is a key factor during operations. "We are well prepared in the procedures. But things do change and we have to be quick on the spot," he said.
PTE Edric Cheang echoed this: "I believe we are more than competent in executing firing missions. We've gone through numerous tests and examinations which have equipped us with valuable knowledge," he explained. "I can safely say we are ready."
SSG Chng added: "In terms of mentality, when they come in for a purpose and they know why, they'll be able to accept the training."
Formation Regimental Sergeant Major, SWO Lau Peck Woh, agreed. He said that training towards The Precision Force cannot be conducted like a lecture, but encompasses all aspects, starting from the basic and what may seem minute and unimportant details.
"In the field, there must be field discipline, from care of equipment to care for the soldier," said SWO Lau. "When they take care of the gun, the gun can be fired any time. When the driver takes care of the vehicle, the vehicle can move out any time. When soldiers know the rationale behind things, they will be willing to do the hard work."
Passing on the legacy
To ensure that the rich vein of experience and wisdom of the senior warrant officers in the Singapore Artillery is preserved, a systematic sharing of knowledge and co-learning was initiated a year ago.
The brainchild of Col. Lim, the Managing Artillery Subject Matter Expertise (MASTERS) programme involves the documentation and consolidation of technical and tactical knowledge in various aspects of artillery operation.
Spearheaded by experienced senior warrant officers in the formation, regular sessions are held to aid the promulgation of important lessons to various groups in the formation's warrant officer and specialist corps.
SWO Lau put it simply: "We realised that when a lot of good old staff retire, they take with them all the knowledge. Like Chinese kung fu, a sifu only teaches you nine sets of skills out of ten, keeping the last one. In the end, all the skills are lost. Either that, or things become simplified or modified. The original is lost. We needed to have the senior gunners transfer their knowledge, skills and experience to their juniors," he added.
SWO Lau, who is also in the Secretariat for the current programme, is one who has personally benefited from MASTERS. "Today, many people learn from many ways, many different kinds of experiences," he observed. "But there are many things one cannot learn from books. It's only from experiences that people have been through and shared with us that makes it easier for the younger specialists to learn more things faster."
Col. Lim said: "MASTERS recognises that the warrant officers - who stay in service till 55 - are the repository of our technical knowledge. Such personnel development is critical to Singapore Artillery, as it seeks to train WOSEs to be mentally agile, to be able and prepared to handle new technology and capabilities," stress Col. Lim.
As Head, Weapons Staff Branch, G5 Army, LTC Leong works closely with HQ Singapore Artillery to achieve the aim of being a Precision Force.
"Towards the late 1990s, we have improved gun laying and ballistic computation with the development of the moving directors and fire control computer respectively," said LTC Leong.
Indeed, since the days of manual gunnery and pure tube artillery, Singapore Artillery has come a long way in terms of taking advantage of the latest technological developments.
Col. Lim said: "The Artillery is perhaps one of the most technical branches in the Army, and we have many opportunities to take advantage of technology. We have been able to exploit technology to enable us to have better comprehensive awareness. It also permits us to have an integrated sensor-shooter link, at various levels of commands, cemented by good doctrine and training," he explained.
While there is a common understanding and appreciation of how technology can be a diligent servant, knowledge and complete mastery of the tools still rank as a top priority in the Singapore Artillery leadership.
Commanding Officer, School of Artillery, LTC Tan, said: "We cannot undermine the importance of the men behind the machines. The selection of weapon system and making the decision to engage the target in close proximity of civilian objects are still the function of the men."
It is without a doubt that technology's place in Singapore Artillery is something the leadership and gunners have learnt to embrace. According to Col. Lim, technology has helped overcome the disadvantages brought upon by operational demands such as fatigue and information overload.
"In the final analysis, it is a balance that we have to achieve, in order to exploit both technology as well as the benefits human operators offer," he concluded.
ARTILLERY RECEIVES NEW PRECISION GUN
The Singapore Artillery's latest acquisition was commissioned by Minister for Defence, RADM (NS) Teo Chee Hean, at Kranji Camp on 24 Nov. The 155mm Self-Propelled Howitzer, named Primus, boasts several key operational advantages that promise to take the SAF artillery operations to another level. These include enhanced mobility, firepower and survivability.
Mounted on an armoured chasis that provides significant protection for the crew of four (as compared to a crew of eight for towed guns such as the FH-2000), the Primus also houses numerous cutting-edge technological features.
The onboard Inertial Navigational Systems (INS) and Ballistics calculation software allow the Primus to be constantly updated on its own whereabouts and firing direction, providing for autonomous operations in location determination and firing solution computation.
Situation awareness is also greatly enhanced as the Command Control Information Systems (CCIS) provides location information of other Primus guns in the area of operations, which is linked to the corresponding Battery Command Post.
-Singapore Ministry of Defence