ST Engineering Land Systems Unveils Unmanned NGAFV Variant

30 Juli 2019

A screen capture of the unmanned NGAFV performing manoeuvres and a teaming assault on a mock target during a company demonstration for Singapore's defence minister (photo : Sing Mindef)

The Land Systems division of Singapore defence prime ST Engineering has revealed an unmanned ground combat vehicle development based on its 29-tonne tracked Next-Generation Armoured Fighting Vehicle (NGAFV) platform.

The prototype vehicle was unveiled in a July video documenting Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen's visit to ST Engineering Land Systems' facility in western Singapore, which featured the unmanned NGAFV manoeuvring with an armed 4×4 unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) and quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

Several visual distinctions between the baseline manned NGAFV- which was earlier commissioned into service on 11 June as the Hunter AFV following a 10-year development programme by the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), ST Engineering, and the Singapore Army - and the unmanned platform can be clearly seen in the video, including a revised exhaust placement to the rear of the hull as opposed to the front, a GPS/GNSS antenna and positioning and orientation sensor package behind the turret, as well as a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor on either side of the glacis plate.

(Jane's)