The National Day Parade Mobile Column rehearsals move to the city tomorrow for the first Combined Rehearsal (CR1).
It's been five years since Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and Home Team vehicles rumbled through Singapore's city centre en masse.
Stayed tuned for a special field report.
Show stoppers: Singapore Army M-113s form up along Nicoll Highway during a Combined Rehearsal for NDP 1995. The opportunity to see massed armour and B vehicles formed up in march order prior to the drive past is gone. At NDP 2005, each Mobile Column "wave" representing a particular Formation (example: Armour, Artillery etc) drove towards the Padang according to their individual driving lanes.
Mobile Column vehicles formed up bumper to bumper in one lane and merged to form neat rows across multiple lanes only when they got closer to the reviewing platform. In NDP 1990, 1995 and 2000, the entire Mobile Column moved towards the Padang in review order.
Nice rear view of the M113s. Notice the background colour of the pennants are white.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised that the old numbering scheme is gone. now 66xxx appears to be some regular armoured infantry M113?
ReplyDeleteHi 5-2,
ReplyDeleteThe 44xx and 6xxx series M-113s had their numberplates changed after the SAF moved from the four-digit to five-digit registration system. Same rationale as SingTel moving from six- to seven- and now eight-digit phone numbers.
The SAF numberplate system alone could be the subject of several blog postings. :)
We should have a talk about this numbering system at the regular place ;o)
ReplyDeleteDo you know when the 5-digit system was introduced and how long did it take to be completed? I remember my vehicles in RATC was still having the 4-digit numbers in 2000 during my last in-camp.