Hunter AFV

History

Singapore has a small military and doesn't rely solely on foreign support. Their local defense company, ST Kinetics, developed the Hunter AFV, which is an armored vehicle with advanced digital capabilities for modern warfare.

The Hunter AFV is similar to Western vehicles like the British AJAX, Spanish ASCOD, Italian Dardo, and German Puma. It has a traditional layout with crew cabins, hatches for entry and exit, and a diesel power chain drive. The unique feature is its unmanned remote-controlled turret, which reduces the vehicle's profile and keeps the crew safe.

The vehicle has side skirt armor to protect the tracks and wheels, and smoke grenade launchers for concealment. It can accommodate a crew of three, including a driver, commander, and gunner. Additionally, it can transport up to eight fully equipped ground troops, who can exit from the rear of the vehicle.

The Hunter AFV is equipped with advanced technology, including independent vision equipment at different locations, 360-degree cameras for monitoring, a laser warning system, and night vision support. It has a modern digital operating environment for communication and target acquisition.

In terms of weaponry, it has a 30mm automatic cannon and a coaxially mounted 7.62mm machine gun. The turret also has an anti-tank missile launch capability using the Israeli "Spike" series. The vehicle can engage various targets at a distance and has smoke grenades for self-defense.

The Hunter AFV is powered by a single diesel engine, allowing a top speed of 43 mph and a range of 310 miles. It has dimensions of 22.7ft length, 11.1ft width, and 11.1ft height. The weight is 32.5 tons.

Besides the standard armored fighting vehicle, the Hunter chassis is also used for other purposes such as command vehicles, armored rescue vehicles, armored engineering vehicles, and armored vehicle launch bridges. An export version with a 105mm main gun is available as well.

As of 2021, the Singapore Army is the only operator of the Hunter AFV. The design work started in 2006 and it has been in service since 2019.

Specification

BASIC

Year of Service: 2019

Origins: Singapore

Crew: 3

Production: 100

Manufacturer: ST Kinetics - Singapore

Carrier: Singapore

Dimensions and Weight

Length: 22. 6 feet (6.9m)

Width: 11. 2 feet (3.4m)

Height: 11. 2 feet (3.4m)

Weight: 66,139 lbs (30,000 kg)

Tonnage: 33.1 ton

Power and Performance

Engine: 1 x turbo diesel engine of unknown make and power output, driving a conventional track and wheel arrangement.

Speed: 43.5 km/h (70.0 km/h)

Range: 310. 7 mi (500. 0 km)

ARMAMENT

1 x 30mm Bushmaster II automatic cannon set in Rafael Samson 30 series Remote Control Weapon Station (RCWS); supports the "Spike" Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) weapon.

1 x 7. 62mm machine gun in co-axial mounting in turret face.

8 x 76mm smoke grenade dischargers.

AMMUNITION

300 x 30mm projectiles (estimated).

2 x Spike missiles (estimated).

1,200 x 7. 62mm ammunition (estimated).

8 x Smoke grenades.

VARIANTS

Hunter AFV - Base Armored Fighting Vehicle form.

Hunter C2 - Command & Control vehicle.

Hunter ARV - Armored Recovery Vehicle with associated equipment for the role.

Hunter AEV - Armored Engineering Vehicle with associated equipment for the role.

Hunter AVLB - Bridgelayer variant.

Hunter 105 - Export model fitted with 105mm gun-armed Cockerill 3105 series powered turret.