The Singapore Armed forces celebrated the 40th anniversary of its Armour formation in a parade yesterday afternoon.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean officiated the parade and also inaugurated the 48 Battalion, Singapore Armoured Regiment (48 SAR) which operates the new Leopard 2A4 Main Battle Tanks. The inauguration signifies the operational readiness of the battalion.

At 40, the SAF Armour formation deploys combat, combat support and combat service support vehicles based on locally designed and produced fighting platforms.

These include the Bionix Infantry Fighting Vehicles, the Bronco All-Terrain Tracked Carriers and the Primus Self-Propelled Howitzers. The addition of the Leopard 2A4 MBTs, with their superior firepower, protection and mobility, will provide a significant boost to the SAF Armour formation.

Speaking at the parade, Mr Teo highlighted the crucial role played by network-enabled armoured battle groups that will provide the SAF with an edge in the battlefield.

"Success in the modern battlefield is increasingly being determined by how well various combat assets which used to fight as separate entities can now be integrated into a fighting system that leverages on a network of sensors, manoeuvre units and fire-delivery systems," he said.

"Armour does not fight alone. It fights today as part of a system - adding the weight of its protected firepower and mobility to the overall combat power of the SAF, whilst drawing on the whole range of capabilities in the rest of the SAF to add to Armour's combat power."