Terrex Q&A
Question: Why is an infantry carrier vehicle still needed when there’s already the Leopard 2A4 Main Battle Tank and Bionix infantry fighting vehicle?
Answer: Tanks are the main assault weapon for ground combat and the vehicle for armour formation troops. Therefore, it cannot be too bulky and large. With half of its already limited cockpit size taken by a reinforced protective casing and filled up by ammunition and equipment for the barrel, there is barely any space left, much less have enough space to transport infantry troops.
However, after the front line troops have destroyed enemy tanks, infantry troops are needed to wipe out any remaining enemy forces and secure the field. Therefore, the infantry fighting vehicle needs to be right behind the armour formation troops with the infantry troops for a coordinated battle effort. This positional warfare is characteristic of an armour formation troop battle. The infantry fighting vehicle are thus equipped with 25mm to 40mm cannons.
On the other hand, not only does the Terrex ICV transport troops, it can also cover the troops with its offensive, defensive and mobility capabilities. This allows the troops to motorise and send small units of infantry troops to launch surprise attacks on the enemy’s non-armour troops while under the Terrex’s covering fire. This is especially useful for urban battles where high-powered ammunition is not required since a heavy-machine gun or a grenade launcher would suffice. As such, turrets are not needed and the vehicle has more space for transporting troops.
Question: The SAF already has the M113 tracked vehicle, so why was the Terrex ICV purchased?
Answer: Tracked vehicles are good at off-road driving, but this requires more power and slows down the vehicle, limits mobility and burns more fuel. On the other hand, a wheeled armour vehicle is fuel-efficient, vibrates less, easy to control, highly mobile on roads, and also has strong deployment capabilities.
As it is swift and silent, the Terrex ICV is most suitable for urban battles in cities with well-developed roads, especially during anti-terrorist attacks and peacekeeping duties. This makes it the ideal motor vehicle for troops that need to react swiftly.
Question: With the failed experience of the V-200, why another wheeled infantry vehicle?
Answer: The V-200, which was used more than 40 years ago, only had four wheels. Each wheel had to carry a massive amount of weight, resulting in low mobility and causing the vehicle to get stuck in muddy areas frequently. In the last few decades, technology for wheeled vehicles have improved tremendously and the vehicles are now equipped with wading capabilities and improved mobility. Moreover, with the increase in the number of wheels, the vehicle can now be larger and bulkier and this increased space could translate into reinforced armour protection for the troops within. All the wheels are also fitted with driving capabilities to enhance vehicle speed.
With eight wheels, the Terrex ICV can go from zero to 50km/hr in just 13.5 seconds and has a turning radius of merely 8.5m. More wheels also mean a neat axle arrangement and the ability to cross ditches over 2m wide. Furthermore, even if a wheel or two are hit and punctured, the other wheels will still be able to function.
Question: What will happen if the wheels are hit?
Answer: As specially produced low-pressure wheels, the wheels will not explode immediately even if hit by a bullet and will still be able to travel some distance. The Terrex ICV is equipped with an automatic wheel pressure adjustment system, which allows the wheel pressure to be adjusted and inflated from within the vehicle to adapt to any terrain or compensate for punctured wheels.
Question: Does that mean that tracked vehicles will become obsolete?
Answer: A wheeled vehicle does not perform as well as a tracked vehicle in off-road conditions and terrains where the ground is soft. The experience of having a V-200 stuck in mud and causing a break in formation with the AMX-13 tanks in front showed that different weapons are required for different terrains and environments. Having both the tracked and wheeled platforms will give the SAF a more well-rounded ability to handle different types of battles.
). I like the SAR-21 too, as it has a built in-optics, is factory zeroed (making zeroing of the weapon unnecessary) and has a translucent magazine casing (telling you how many rounds are remaining in the mag). As compared to the M-16, the weapon is better suited to our smaller Asian body frame and it is designed to tolerate dirty better (you can dip the SAR-21 in the river, take it out and shoot).