Since 1999, the Army together with Defence Science & Technolody Agency (DSTA) and Dynamic Nobel of Germany embarked on the development of a Short Range Anti-Armour Weapon to meet the needs of the modern battlefield, especially of that in an increasingly urbanised environment.
This weapon, which has been named MATADOR, will eventually replace the ARMBRUST Light Anti-tank Weapon which has been in service since the 1980s. The rapid pace in which this weapon was developed is a shinning example of the close tri-partite effort. This being significant as Dynamic Nobel is a continent away from Singapore.
MATADOR is the first weapon in the world which has both anti-armour and anti-brickwall capabilities that is suited for operations in confined spaces. With enhanced penetration, this weapon is able to defeat all known Armoured Fighting Vehicles and Light Tanks in the world.
The warhead when acting in the delay mode creates a hole of 450mm diameter in a double brickwall and offers a non-conventional entry point for the soldier when fighting in built-up area. The increased range of the weapon over our ARMBRUST allows the soldier to engage targets beyond small arms effective range and therefore increasing the survivability of our soldiers.
In the development, special attention has also been given to ensure that the European designers understood the anthropomorphic profile of our soldiers. There were numerous human factors trials involving our National Servicemen (NSmen) with the aim to improve the ergonomics of the weapon. In addition, many of the useful features found in the ARMBRUST were incorporated in MATADOR.
Improvements have also been made to the sighting system to enhance target acquisition. Furthermore, the carriage of the weapon has been made more comfortable with better padding, a feature useful for long matches. Taken together, these easy to use features will help our soldiers achieve proficiency in using the weapon within the shortest possible time.
The introduction of MATADOR in the Army will greatly enhance the firepower of the Infantry Section. It will give the Army the added capability to fight in built-up areas. With the improvements to make the weapon user friendly, our soldiers will find the weapon easy to operate and will spend less training time to achieve proficiency.
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