SAF TO BUILD 1ST OF ITS KIND TES EQUIPPING CENTRE
PHOTO // Simon Koh
A company of solders in-and-out in two hours, fully kitted out with the Tactical Engagement System (TES) and ready to go, right down to their vehicles. A battalion of soldiers and their vehicles done in six hours, down from the current 24 hours. These statements will not be pipe dreams once the TES Equipping Centre is completed next year in December.
With a total floor area of about 5,000 sq m (or about 45 five-room flats), the three-storey complex will house TES equipment on the second and third floors. The ground floor will be used as an equipping area, and will be able to hold up to 150 combat vehicles.
At the ground-breaking ceremony held at Pasir Laba Camp on 2 Jul, Commander Army Training and Doctrine Command Brigadier-General Lim Hock Yu said: "The full implementation of the equipping centre will improve training administration and ensure soldiers are quickly equipped with the TES before training."
With four main areas, the centre will have dedicated spaces for the collection and alignment of the TES. Vehicles will have allocated areas for equipping and other calibration processes. Soldiers will also have a dedicated waiting area.
For the uninitiated, the TES is a laser-based simulation system. It replicates the effects of a wide range of weapons in the Singapore Armed Forces' arsenal. Correctly fitted, the system of sensors and lasers gives soldiers heightened training realism.
The TES also has the ability to provide almost real-time tracking and analysis of battle action, so that soldiers can better hone their combat skills. Think laser quest, but on a much larger and more sophisticated scale.
