Armour is the heavy hitter of the Army: tanks and armoured fighting vehicles that bring firepower and mobility to the battlefield.
It's a popular combat vocation, partly for the machines you get to crew, and partly for the overseas exercises (Australia and Germany) that come with it.
How do you know you're in Armour
Check your posting order after BMT. You'll see one of two roles:
- Tank Operator (the tank crewman)
- Armoured Infantry (mounted infantry who also dismount and fight)
Armour takes combat-fit people (PES A and B1). Postings still go by operational needs, your attributes, and BMT performance.
Official links
The two vocations
| Tank Operator | Armoured Infantry | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Leopard 2SG main battle tank | Hunter / Bionix fighting vehicles |
| Job | Crew, fire, and maintain the tank | Fight mounted, then dismount to fight on foot |
| Focus | Gunnery, driving, vehicle upkeep | Infantry skills plus armoured tactics |
| Crew | Commander, gunner, driver, loader | Commander, gunner, driver, plus dismounts |
Both are combat roles. The big practical difference is that tank operators live around the tank, while armoured infantry are infantry with a vehicle.
Armoured infantry is usually the more physically demanding of the two, since troopers still dismount and fight on foot. Tank crew is less foot-slogging but more technical, cramped, and maintenance-heavy. Which one you get comes down to posting, manpower, and medical suitability, not a free choice.
The vehicles
- Leopard 2SG: the main battle tank, 120mm gun
- Hunter AFV: the locally built, fully digital fighting vehicle (crew of 3 plus dismounts)
- Bionix II: the tracked infantry fighting vehicle
- Bronco / M113: tracked carriers for support roles
You won't necessarily crew the newest platform. Depending on your unit and role you might be on a Leopard 2SG, Hunter, Bionix, or a support vehicle, or in a non-crew armoured infantry role.
The course
Armour trains at the Armour Training Institute (ATI) in Sungei Gedong Camp, home of the School of Armour.
- Tank operator training is widely described as siong: gunnery, driving, and a lot of vehicle preparation and maintenance. Expect to be drilled hard and to lug practice rounds around
- Armoured infantry training mixes basic infantry with armoured warfare tactics, mounted and dismounted
- Armour leans on simulators for gunnery and driving before you touch the real thing
After BMT there's a trades phase before full unit training. Armoured infantry accounts put it at around 3 months; tank crew describe a similar first few months of tank familiarisation before being streamed into a role (gunner, loader, driver). Lengths shift by platform, role, and batch, so check with your cohort.
The units
Armour's NSF battalions, based at Keat Hong and Sungei Gedong camps:
| Battalion | Type |
|---|---|
| 40, 41, 42 SAR | Armoured infantry |
| 48 SAR | Tanks |
That's the rough split, but a battalion needs more than crews and troopers: there are also vehicle operators, gunners, recce, signals, medics, technicians, and HQ/support roles. 48 SAR (tanks) is the one most tied to the Germany exercise. Unit and camp details can change, so always follow your official posting order.
Overseas exercises
Overseas training is a real possibility, and one of Armour's biggest draws:
- Exercise Wallaby in Australia, the SAF's largest overseas exercise, with live-firing across huge training areas (usually the second half of the year)
- Exercise Panzerstrike in Germany (around 3 weeks), gunnery and manoeuvre alongside the German army, most associated with the 48 SAR tanks
It's selected units and batches that go, not every NSF automatically, and it depends on your unit's cycle, role, and manpower. Still, getting to actually open up on terrain you'll never get at home is a big part of the appeal.
How hard is it really
Different hard from infantry, not necessarily worse.
- Armoured infantry seldom dig shellscrapes and have far fewer route marches, because the vehicle carries you and your load
- The trade-off is maintenance: armour runs on its vehicles, so cleaning, servicing, and prepping them eats a lot of time
- Tank crew life is gunnery and upkeep heavy, with its own siong course up front
You still go outfield and do live-firing, but the day-to-day texture is more "vehicle crew" than "foot soldier".
Maintenance is the saikang
Worth setting expectations: a real part of armour life is looking after the vehicle. Force prep, stores, vehicle checks, and post-exercise servicing and cleaning can take up a meaningful part of the week, and during heavy training it can feel like the second half of the outfield. The machines are the whole point of the vocation, so they come first.
Daily life
Expect stay-in unit life. Sungei Gedong and Keat Hong are on the western side, ulu, which is worth knowing if you live far. Nights out depend on training phase, unit, and commanders.
When you get downtime, don't waste the free time:
- Study or take free online courses
- Clear your IPPT early to bank the award money
- Read, learn a skill, or save money
- Keep shows downloaded offline before you book in
Tips if you're posted to Armour
- Learn your role properly: a tank or AFV crew only works if everyone knows their job, and it makes life smoother
- Don't dread the maintenance: it's a big part of the vocation, so get efficient at it
- Keep your fitness up: armoured infantry still dismount and fight, and better IPPT = more money
- Make the most of overseas exercise if you get it, it's a highlight most vocations never see
Ranks and progression
If you do well you can be picked for command school:
- Specialist Cadet School (SCS) to become a sergeant
- Officer Cadet School (OCS) via the command school route
Is it worth anything after ORD
Unfortunately, Armour will not get a civilian driving licence, that's a transport thing, not an armour one. But the experience isn't nothing:
- Hands-on vehicle systems, gunnery, and maintenance exposure
- Strong crew teamwork and, if you make commander, real leadership
- The overseas exercise and the bragging rights of having crewed a Leopard
Combat vocations also pay a higher vocation allowance.
Read next
- Infantry vocation: how foot-soldier life compares to riding into the fight
Sources
- Armour vocation - CMPB: the official overview
- Armour formation - Singapore Army: vehicles, crews, and role
- Armour (Singapore Army) - Wikipedia: formation, units, and the ATI