Circuit breaker Day 4 pix: Singapore Army M-113 Ultra with special urban ops cupola

"Fitted for but not with" is a description applicable to many Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) war machines.

This M-113A2 Ultra is fitted with something seldom seen. The armoured personnel carrier has additional armour protection for its CIS 40/50 cupola which mounts a CIS 40mm automatic grenade launcher and a CIS 50 12.7mm heavy machine gun. I saw an Ultra in this configuration only once. This was back in July 2006 when the Singapore Army showcased its urban warfare capabilities to the media at Exercise Urban Dominance. They told the media that if the need arose, M-113 Ultras could be retrofitted quickly with such armour kits.

The add-on armour is made up of armoured glass panels that encircle the cupola. A small gunshield, much smaller than the Vietnam-era Armoured Cavalry Assault Vehicle gunshield kit, improves frontal protection. The cupola is no longer exposed to sun and sky as an armour plate provides top protection.

The armour kit protects the gunner, who was previously exposed from shoulder-level up, from small arms fire and shell fragments. Armoured glass enhances situational awareness in closed terrain during military ops in urban terrain.

The experiment was a precusor to SAF "closed hatch" CONOPS, as demonstrated by the new Hunter AFVs.

Here's what an Ultra 40/50 cupola looks like without the add-on armour kit.


P.S. No Navy pictures? Yes, have. Just hang on a bit please. :-)