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New Paper
5 days ago
- Automotive
- New Paper
NDP 2025: Leopard tank that hit traffic light to return to mobile column after fault identified
A Leopard tank went momentarily out of control during a National Day Parade (NDP) National Education show on July 5 will resume its role in the NPD mobile column and heartland celebrations. The Ministry of Defence (Mindef), in a statement on July 11 after the Singapore Army concluded its investigations into the matter, said the incident happened because an internal component within the transmission had malfunctioned. This resulted in a loss of transmission oil pressure, causing the tank to experience a partial loss in its steering and braking power. The tank was found to have sustained no major damage and the traffic light has since been repaired. The cause of the malfunction was traced to a failure in the channel taking the transmission fluid to the service brake, Mindef added. The tank operator, a full-time national serviceman, responded according to standard procedures and activated the parking brake to bring the vehicle to a stop. The Leopard 2SG main battle tank, which features in the NDP mobile column, hit a traffic light on July 5 while making a turn near Parliament House and the Supreme Court. The incident took place at about 7.20pm in North Bridge Road, just after the mobile column segment of the show had ended. The tank was moving within the 20kmh speed limit inside a cordoned area, and no injuries were reported. The next day, Mindef said the vehicle had experienced a technical issue which resulted in the accident. In video footage of the incident, put up later that day on the SGRV Facebook page, the tank can be seen making a right turn before hitting the traffic light, leaving it slightly askew. The clip was widely watched online, racking up nearly half a million views overnight. Several people online speculated that the cause could be a mechanical fault, including a possible steering issue. Preliminary findings on July 8 said a "faulty component" caused the tank to lose both steering and braking power. Colonel David Kwek, co-chairman of the NDP 2025 Heartland Celebrations Committee, said the issue was linked to "an isolated component" in the Leopard 2SG, and that safety checks are ongoing. Mindef, on July 11, said this is the first time the army has experienced such a fault in its Leopard 2SG fleet. The affected tank underwent standard checks before deployment and no issues were detected. The ministry said: "Comprehensive checks performed across the L2SG fleet since the incident have determined that it was an isolated one." Renk, the German manufacturer of the tank's transmission system, said the malfunction had not previously occurred in its systems. It will work with the army to establish a maintenance regime for the affected component. All transmissions in the fleet have since been verified to be in good working order.
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Leopard tank internal component malfunctioned resulting in partial loss of steering, brake power: Mindef
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A video of the accident posted on Facebook page SGRV shows the traffic light slightly askew after the incident. SINGAPORE - A leopard tank went out of control during a National Day Parade (NDP) National Education show on July 5 because an internal component within the transmission had malfunctioned. Mindef in a statement on July 11 said this resulted in a loss of transmission oil pressure, causing the L2SG to experience a partial loss in its steering and braking power. The Leopard 2SG main battle tank participating in the mobile column on July 5 accidentally struck a traffic light while making a turn near Parliament House and the Supreme Court. The incident took place at about 7.22pm along North Bridge Road , just after the mobile column segment of the show had ended. The tank, which was moving w ithin the 20kmh speed limit inside a cordoned area, and no injuries were reported. The next day, the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said the vehicle had experienced a 'technical issue', which resulted in the tank knocking into the traffic light. V ideo footage of the incident, put up later that day on the SGRV Facebook page, shows the tank making a right turn before gently knocking into the pole, leaving it slightly askew. The clip quickly gained traction online, racking up nearly half a million views overnight. While some netizens took the opportunity to joke about the situation - one quipping 'Tank-ful no one is hurt' - others expressed concern and speculated that the cause could be a mechanical fault, including a possible steering issue. Preliminary findings released on July 8 pointed to a 'faulty component' that caused the tank to lose both steering and braking power. Col onel David Kwe k, co-chairman of the NDP 2025 Heartland Celebrations Committee, told the media that the issue was linked to 'an isolated component' in the Leopard 2SG, and that safety checks are ongoing. While Mindef has confirmed that the tank sustained no significant damage and the traffic light has since been repaired, it added that detailed inspections are under way. The vehicle will only resume its role in the NDP mobile column and heartland celebrations after all necessary safety clearances are completed.
