The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) announced in a press release last evening (26 Nov) that the nine armoured vehicles seized by the Hong Kong customs department has been shifted to a secured access-controlled area within the Hong Kong Customs depot at the River Trade Terminal. It further said that the containers with the armoured vehicles which were opened for inspection have also been resealed by the Hong Kong Customs.
The press release did not say if the team met with the Hong Kong or Chinese officials to resolve the matter, or if they were making any headway in ensuring the successful return of the vehicles to Singapore. The team from SAF in Hong Kong have met up with APL representatives to assess the situation.
The armoured vehicles, Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicles (ICV), is being used by the SAF to provide foot soldiers with added cover and speed in the battlefield and near real-time updates of enemy and friendly troop positions.
The eight-wheel amphibious vehicle has been earmarked to be purchased by the United States Marine Corps (USMC) to replace their aging troop-carriers. The Marine Corps deal (worth about S$2.1 billion), will be the biggest sale for Singapore Technologies (ST) Kinetics, which designed and built the Terrex 2. 13 prototypes of the Terrex 2 will now undergo rigorous tests to assess their suitability for USMC’s operations over the next 2 years. If the testings prove good, 204 vehicles will be delivered to USMC by 2020.