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 within 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. Video 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.

Colonel David Kwek, 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 c...