Small & Deadly

15 Maret 2011

Singaporean Army with the SAR 21 /"Singapore Assault Rifle - 21st Century" (photo : Militarynuts)

What do infantry soldiers use to close in on the enemy? Handy dandy weapons. Here's a look at the weapons used by soldiers in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

Bigger does not necessarily mean better, especially in close combat. That is why soldiers are equipped with a variety of small arms that are designed to be swift and deadly when they close in for the kill.

SAR-21 (photos : STKinetic)

Currently, the common weapons used by various battalions in the SAF are variants of the Singapore Assault Rifle (SAR) 21, such as the sharpshooter and one with an M203 grenade launcher attached, the P226 Pistol and the Section Assault Weapon (SAW).

Termed as small arms, these weapons are highly portable and can be carried and used by one person. They also typically weigh below 5kg.


"In the infantry battalion, the three main weapons are the SAR 21, SAW and M203. As for the P226, it's used mainly by infantry units that conduct POI (Protection of Installations)," explained Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Michael Pereira, the Deputy Manager and Head Coach of the SAF Shooting Contingent, School of Infantry Weapons.

He elaborated: "When operating as a section of seven men, two men will be armed with the M203, two with the SAW, two with the normal SAR 21 and one with the SAR 21 sharpshooter."

Sig Sauer P226 (photo :SingaporeRifle)

Commenting on their effectiveness in battle, MWO Pereira said: "These small arms are very good for jungle and urban warfare because they are small, compact and user-friendly. They don't obstruct your movement, whether you're crawling behind bushes or ducking along corridors.

"Weapons with scope functions like the SAR 21 are also really simple to handle. You just need to look at the dot through the scope, then fix the dot onto the target and fire to engage the weapon."

(Mindef)