SINGAPORE: The tank collision with a traffic light at a National Day Parade (NDP) national education show on Jul 5 was an isolated incident, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said, adding that the Singapore Army has concluded its investigation into the event.

This was the first time the Singapore Army had experienced such a technical fault in its Leopard 2SG Main Battle Tank (L2SG) fleet, MINDEF said in a media release on Friday (Jul 11).

"All Mobile Column assets, including the L2SGs, undergo thorough checks before deployment. No issues were detected for the affected L2SG before it moved out," it added.

"Comprehensive checks performed across the L2SG fleet since the incident have determined that it was an isolated one."

The affected tank was part of the Mobile Column segment for NDP.

With the cause of the incident identified and rectified, and additional precautions taken, the L2SGs will resume their participation in this year's NDP, said MINDEF.

WHAT HAPPENED

The incident had occurred as the tank was turning towards North Bridge Road within the cordoned area, said MINDEF. 

The investigation found that an internal component within the transmission – specifically the conduit for the transmission fluid to the service brake – had malfunctioned, it said.

This resulted in a loss of transmission oil pressure, causing the tank to experience a partial loss in its steering and braking power in the service brake, it added.

The tank operator, a full-time national serviceman, responded with the appropriate standard operating procedure, and activated the parking brake to bring the affected tank to a stop, said MINDEF.

RENK GmbH, the transmission’s original equipment manufacturer, also indicated that this malfunction was previously unknown, the ministry said.

The manufacturer will work with the Singapore Army on a maintenance regime for the affected component to prevent reoccurrence, it added.

Additional checks have been conducted across the fleet as a precautionary measure, and it has been established that all their transmissions are in good working order, MINDEF said.