The 42nd Battalion of the Singapore Armoured Regiment (42 SAR) -- the Army's first battalion of armoured troopers to operate a new fighting vehicle called the Bionix -- was declared operational by Defence minister Tony Tan on Friday.
The Bionix is a locally produced infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) which was conceived eight years ago, and the prototype rolled out in 1997. Capable of hitting targets in the dark and through smoke with its thermal gunsight, the Bionix also has armour protection and can operate on land , across streams and rivers.
Speaking at the live-firing demonstration on Friday, Dr Tan said that the ability to design and manufacture a vehicle like the Bionix spoke volumes of Singapore's defence industries.
To the men, he reminded them that battles were not won by machines alone: "The men behind the machines and their undaunted spirit to succeed are the decisive factors."
(taken from The Straits Times, 1/8/99)