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Bionix Infantry Fighting Vehicle

The Bionix Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) is a 5.9 m long amphibious armoured vehicle that can ferry troops to key battlefield positions. It was developed by the Defence Material Organisation, the SAF Armour and Singapore Technologies Automotive, now known as Singapore Technologies Kinetics. Intended to augment the Singapore Army's ageing fleet of M113 armoured carriers, it is also the first armoured vehicle to be developed in Southeast Asia.

Armed with small-calibre cannon and machine guns, it can move at 70 km/h and is the first vehicle in its class to use a hydro-pneumatic suspension system, giving it a smoother ride.

The first Bionix production vehicles were completed in September 1997 and the first unit equipped with it was the 42nd Battalion Singapore Armoured Regiment (42 SAR). The unit has 700 men and is equipped with 40 Bionix IFV, 13 Ultra M113 APCs, and 12 AMX-13 SM1 light tanks.

There are two basic versions of the Bionix IFV, the Bionix 25 and the Bionix 40/50. The Bionix 25 has a crew of three and can carry seven fully equipped troops. The Bionix 40/50 has a crew of two and can carry nine troops. A variant of these two is the Bionix Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV), which is currently being marketed to the U.S. Army. It is lighter than the first two and is able to be deployed from a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. The Bionix Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridge (AVLB) has a two-part bridge mounted on top of its hull. The bridge can span gaps up to 20 m and can be launched from the Bionix in less than six minutes. A prototype, the Bionix Recovery Vehicle (RCV) is designed to recover tracked vehicles that are bogged down in ditches or soft ground. It is currently undergoing trials with the Singapore Armed Forces.



Author
Eugene Tan, 2000



References 
Singapore drives Bionix IFV to new limits. (1999, October 1). International Defense Review.

Singapore now armed with Bionix. (1999, August 25). Janes Defence Weekly.

Assault with a deadly weapon. (1999, August 4). The Straits Times, p. 32.

Singapores new Infantry Fighting Vehicle. (1997, September 6). The Straits Times, p. 39.

Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd. (2003). Bionix Infantry Fighting Vehicle. Retrieved January 6, 2005, from www.stengg.com/cms/download.aspx?1803IbIDCl33nB3PEaR.pdf

Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd. (n.d.). Bionix 25 specifications. Retrieved January 6, 2005, from www.st.com.sg/STAuto/orspec25.htm 

The information in this article is valid as at 2001 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Politics and Government>>National Security>>Defence
Motor vehicles, Amphibious--Singapore
Vehicles, Military--Singapore
Science and technology>>Engineering>>Military engineering



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