(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – The Leopard 2 main battle tanks belonging to the Singapore Armed Forces and the German Armed Forces participated in an armor exercise involving live-firing at the Oberlausitz Military Training Area (OMTA) in Germany.
The joint German-Singapore armor exercise, dubbed ‘Panzer Strike,’ consists of armor maneuvers and live-firing exercises held twice this year.
During the ‘Panzer Strike’ exercise starting from March 8 to 15, the Singapore Armed Forces deployed 85 personnel from the 3rd Company, 48th Battalion Singapore Armoured Regiment (48 SAR), alongside the 391st Panzergrenadier Battalion of the German Armed Forces.
“The joint exercises between both nations also involve professional exchanges through discussions on Standard Operating Procedures, Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures,” stated a release issued by the Singapore Armed Forces.
“Both exercises during the spring and winter seasons involved a total of 14 Leopard 2SG main battle tanks and ‘Hunter’ armored fighting vehicles, alongside personnel from the 48th Battalion Singapore Armoured Regiment (48 SAR) and the Armor Training Institute of the Singapore Armed Forces.”
All assets and personnel from Singapore involved in operating the main battle tanks and armored vehicles undergone maneuvers using live ammunition during the exercise.
The ‘Panzer Strike’ exercise, initiated in 2009, has now been ongoing for 15 years, depicting the close relations between Singapore and Germany.
The vast training area at the Oberlausitz Military Training Area (OMTA) in Germany, roughly equivalent to Singapore’s size, provides opportunities for the Singapore Army to execute more complex and larger-scale war scenario exercises in a more integrated environment.
“The opportunity to train in Germany has further strengthened the professionalism and capabilities of the Singapore Armed Forces formation and reinforced professional ties between the Singapore Army and their German counterparts,” the statement added.
The Singapore Armed Forces also stated in the release that the ‘Panzer Strike’ exercise demonstrates the strong defense ties between Singapore and Germany.
“Both militaries frequently interact through high-level visits and dialogues, exchange of military officers, participation in professional courses among military personnel, and technological collaborations.”
“This interaction has further solidified the professional relationship between the two armed forces,” the statement concluded.
Singapore employs Leopard 2 main battle tanks (including Leopard 2 A7 variants) developed by the German company Krauss-Maffei Wegman.
Overall, the Singapore Armed Forces possess a total of 170 Leopard 2 main battle tanks (as of 2019 data).
These 170 Leopard 2 main battle tanks have been upgraded to the Leopard 2SG variant with enhanced armor and electronic systems manufactured by Israeli companies.
They are equipped with 120mm cannons.
Singapore began procuring these main battle tanks as early as 2006, with another acquisition occurring in 2016.
The weight of these German-made main battle tanks is approximately 65 tons and operated by a crew of four. – DSA