Pegasus defends Singapore

The Pegasus is made in Singapore but no sitting duck.
Its only other equivalent in the world is the American M777, but even that pales in comparison to the Pegasus and the differences are great.
The M777 is not heli-portable and does not have an auxiliary power unit, said Mr Teo Chew Kwee, deputy general manager of Kinetics Design and Development. He was speaking to my paper at the Defence TechX exhibition yesterday.
He led the team of engineers at ST Kinetics that came up with the world's first lightweight, self-propelled 155mm howitzer. A creation of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), the Defence Science & Technology Agency and ST Kinetics, the Pegasus is slated to replace the SAF's 37 ageing French Nexter Systems towed 105mm LG1 light guns.
Mr differences that Pegasus packs more punch are he said are:
* Auxiliary Power Unit (APU)
It provides the gun with a short-range self-propelled capability. With the APU, the system can manoeuvre over terrain at a speed of 12 kmh. Mr Teo said: "By incorporating this power pack, we allow the Pegasus' functions to be automated. This is unlike the M777, which is manually operated by six people on each side of the legs, with brute force.'
* Ammunition Loading System (ALS)
Powered by the APU, the ALS loads ammunition to alleviate crew fatigue. This allows the crew to operate the Pegasus longer with a burst rate of three rounds in 24 seconds. "It's like sticking a bomb into the barrel,"
* Innovative recoil management
The recoil of the Pegasus is a third lower than conventional 155mm howitzers. "That's how we reduce the overall loading on the gun structure," he explained.
* Ease of deployment
The Pegasus is easy to configure. Through a simple seesaw action that shifts the gun's centre of gravity to suit different missions, it can be deployed in less than 2.5 minutes with eight men. He said: "An M777, when fired upon, cannot move. But the Pegasus can quickly fold up and move elsewhere."
* Lightweight materials
The Pegasus employs lightweight materials like titanium and high-alloy aluminium that provide the strength and stability required to withstand the recoil force. "The Pegasus looks totally unconventional. Every component is multi-tasked," he said.This baby is the best of Singapore,by thinking out of the box.