ST Engineering Land Systems
Besides manufacturing small arms and munitions, some of STELS' key military products include the SAR 21 assault rifle, the Bionix AFV, the Bronco All Terrain Tracked Carrier and the Terrex APC.
Recent acquisitions between 2004 and 2009 have seen new construction equipment, specialised bodies and trailers for urban services being brought into ST Kinetics' stable of products, which was previously dominated by military weapons and platforms.
Together with the other ST Engineering companies, STELS is part of the Singapore Defence Ecosystem of users, developers and producers in support of the Third Generation SAF.
Several other companies were formed under CIS over the span of the next 2 decades, with the expansion of the defence business, such as Unicorn International (UI) in 1971, Ordnance & Development Engineering (ODE) in 1973, Singapore Test Services (STS) in 1980 and Chartered Chemicals (CCI) in 1982.
For the automotive business, ST Auto took on the AMX-13 Light Tank upgrading project, and refurbished the M113 APC, Commando V100 and V200 armored vehicles, LARC V amphibious.
[13] In 2005, ST Kinetics acquired Specialized Vehicles Corporation in U.S. along with its Hackney and Kidron brands, 2 market leaders in the U.S. beverage truck bodies business.
[20][21] In February 2013, ST Kinetics appointed Tata International as its distributor in Africa, thus expanding its distribution and customer support network for both its LeeBoy and TRXBUILD brands in 13 other countries.
[23] Established in November 2013, the wholly owned subsidiary, Kinetics Automotive & Specialty Equipment Co., Ltd (KASE) was set up in Yangon, Myanmar.
The SAR 21 is the first production assault rifle of its class to incorporate a built-in Laser Aiming Device (LAD) (powered by a single "AA" battery) as standard.
The rifle incorporates various patented safety features, such as a Kevlar cheek plate and overpressure vent that protects the shooter in the unlikely event of a chamber explosion or catastrophic failure.
[29] Claimed to be the shortest bullpup rifle in the world with a 14.5-inch barrel, the BMCR provides ease and comfort for soldiers to manipulate in tight spaces.
[29] Equipped with a unique adjustable and foldable buttstock, the CMCR provides ease and comfort for soldiers to manipulate in tight spaces.
[31][33] The CPW is a lightweight, multi-caliber Submachine Gun (SMG)/Personal Defence Weapon (PDW) for Close Quarters Combat (CQB/CQC) operations as well as engagements up to 150m.
[34] The main differences are the angled pistol grip of the CPW for enhanced ergonomics and natural aiming, and a transparent rear magazine so that the operator can see the rounds remaining.
St Kinetics is also collaborating with Australia's Metal Storm and Electro Optics System to develop a new high-speed and recoilless 40 mm grenade launcher called the Redback Lightweight.
[39] In 2008, the company entered into a teaming agreement with Electro-Optic Systems (EOS) and Metal Storm (MS) to develop a 3-shot under-barrel grenade launcher called the 3GL.
[41] ST Kinetics also announced that the company secured a total of more than US$30 million worth of international orders from Canada and United States for its 40mm ammunition in October 2013.
The CIS engineers learnt from the lesson of the unsuccessful American "Dover Devil GPHMG" programme, to create a modular weapon suited for modern tactical doctrines and production techniques.
A unique feature of the 50MG is its dual belt-feed system that allows for fast and easy switching of ammunition from standard ball to armor-piercing Saboted Light Armor Penetrator (SLAP).
[7] Designed and built locally in Singapore by CIS, the FH-2000 deploys a crew of 8 and can use a low-powered self-propelled engine to travel at 10 km/h without towing.
The Pegasus is the world's first heli-portable 155 mm 39 calibre self-propelled light howitzer, capable of offering aerial mobility for shoot and scoot.
Other self-propelled guns such as the U.S. (M109 Paladin), Britain's (AS90 Braveheart), Japan's (Type 75) and Russia's (2S3M1) were either too heavy, at over 50 tons, or too wide, beyond 3m, for the tropical rainforest and swampy terrains.
The chassis is based on the proven United Defense M109 155 mm self-propelled howitzer, with a new power pack similar to the one fitted on the Bionix infantry fighting vehicle (IFV).
The maximum road speed of the Primus is 50 km/h, with an operating range of 350 km, its combat weight is of 28.3 tons allows it to use the SAF 's current military bridging systems.
The Terrex uses a patented independent double wishbone suspension, which greatly improves ground mobility and comfort during rides over rough terrains.
The use of automatic traction control and the capacity for large footprint off-road tyres enables the Terrex to reach high speed on soft ground.
ST Kinetics started on the commercial vehicle business in 2004 and has yet to establish a presence in the global marketplace even though its subsidiaries are well-established brands within their respective countries.
In 2008, ST Kinetics began to market selected commercial vehicles and the hybrid drive solutions as ecological products.
ST Kinetics' BZK JV in China produces fixed and articulated off-road dumptrucks ranging from 20 to 52 ton.
LeeBoy has been a leading producer of commercial asphalt pavers and motor-graders since 1964 in the U.S. Hackney and Kidron are aluminium and refrigerated truck bodies manufacturers respectively in the U.S. Hackney beverage trucks has been marketing its optimised compartmentalisation and light-weight aluminium bodies as means to lower lifecycle costs to the operators.
