10 Mar 2022
Everyone loves a great vehicle, especially us! We just delivered the brand new Hunter Recovery Vehicle (HRV) and Light Utility Vehicle (LUV) to the SAF for improved ops readiness.
Jointly developed by our engineers in collaboration with the Singapore Army and industry partners, the HRV and LUV help to fulfil the service’s active demands for capability and sustainability. Both vehicles were commissioned on 18 February 2022.
Our engineers adopted a model-based capability development approach, in which they leveraged 3D modelling to enable better visualisation of the vehicle designs and expedited integration reviews without the need for physical prototypes. The teams also employed a user-centric design approach to better understand users’ workflows and delivered vehicles that meet the SAF’s needs more effectively.
This was especially the case for the HRV. While Hunter Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFV) have already been delivered to the SAF since 2019, the teams developed a new variant by combining enhanced recovery systems with the digitalised Hunter platform. This provided organic frontline recovery capabilities to the Hunter AFV family of vehicles.
Among its new and innovative features were stabiliser systems and a knuckle boom crane that can be deployed and stowed automatically, as well as a first-of-its-kind mechanism for quicker and easier loading and unloading of the tow bar. To ensure all crane operations are conducted within safety perimeters, the HRV is equipped with real-time sensor feedback for overload protection, and anti-collision systems that would prevent the crane from colliding with the vehicle.
Senior Programme Manager (Land Systems) Ng Hah Ping added that the team’s approach allowed them to analyse the HRV before any physical parts were produced and tested, which greatly sped up the integration and testing process. He attributed the successful delivery to teamwork. He said: “The many innovations in the HRV were only achieved through joint efforts and close collaboration with the Army and industry.”
The HRV team integrated various innovative systems to bolster the vehicle’s safety and recovery capabilities in a tactical environment.
On the other hand, the LUV has a modular, purpose-built rear cabin that can be configured for general transport and other special operations. It includes an advanced driver assistance system and a 360-degree camera system to provide greater situational awareness for enhanced safety, as well as a roll-over protection cage and forward-facing seats with three-point seat belts in the rear cabin for better crew protection. The LUV is also the Army’s first wheeled vehicle that comes with a universal radio rack designed to accommodate different radio types.
Recalling the challenges faced in the vehicle’s delivery, Senior Programme Manager (Land Systems) Tng Chung Siong shared that the team had to consider many aspects to ensure that the LUV would be up to military standards.
He explained: “While the LUV was based on a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) platform, our goal was to deliver something that would be highly configurable, with greater ease in operations and maintainability. To achieve that, we conducted engineering assessments, interviewed the users, and gathered their comments for different operation scenarios. That gave us a better understanding of their operational requirements and workflows, allowing us to adapt the COTS platform and deliver a vehicle that would suit their needs.”
The LUV team adapted and designed the COTS vehicle to support the Army in different operational scenarios.