He'll Be Getting Fast And Furious In This Nimble Warrior At NDP 2024
Singapore commemorates 40 years of Total Defence this year. To honour this milestone, the National Day Parade 2024 (NDP 2024) will debut the Total Defence 40 (TD40) Dynamic Defence Display (D3), the first time the D3 is being showcased at the Padang.
The TD40 D3 will bring together an impressive array of more than 400 participants and supporting staff from the Singapore Army, Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS), Singapore Police Force (SPF), and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), as well as other government and non-government agencies.
Some of the assets and vehicles that will be featured in the TD40 D3 segment of NDP 2024. | IMAGE: NDP 2024 EXCO
This display is a testament to Singapore’s comprehensive approach to national security, and will feature 40 state-of-the-art assets, one of them being the Light Strike Vehicle MK.II (LSV).
Coordinating the manoeuvres for the LSV crew, and one of the soldiers behind the wheel of this fast and lightweight anti-tank vehicle is 3rd Warrant Officer (3WO) Jonathan Mark Garnell, Wing Sergeant Major, Light Strike Training Wing, Guards Training Centre.
We chat with the 38-year-old about the awesome LSV, date nights with his wife, and how he is looking forward to his three kids watching him in action at NDP 2024.
3WO Jonathan Mark Garnell will be behind the wheel of the Singapore Army's LSV, one of the 40 assets that will be featured in the TD40 D3 segment of NDP 2024. | IMAGE: NICK CHEE
Gosh! We can only imagine how you must feel about getting fast and furious at NDP 2024!
I feel incredibly excited and honoured to be part of the TD40 D3 segment! It's my first time participating in the show. Previously, I was in a support role, doing flow management and crowd control. To be participating in the show itself, it’s something I'm very honoured to do.
How will you be impressing the crowd during the TD40 D3 segment?
We'll be executing a double criss-cross manoeuvre, followed by emergency braking at each of the four corners of the Padang. After that, we'll fire off our general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) and then speed off to exit. In LSV terms, it’s called a shoot-and-scoot operation.
The LSV in action at an NDP 2024 Preview. | IMAGE: NICK CHEE
Your role in NDP 2024 is to coordinate the LSV crew's manoeuvres for TD40 D3, and ensure they are safely and professionally trained. What were some of the challenges you faced, and how long did it take you to get the manoeuvre right?
I would say syncing everybody together because performing the criss-cross manoeuvre with these vehicles is not easy. You need to time yourself, visualise, and mentally prep. You have to break it into different components, and at the end, we will incorporate all four vehicles together. The initial stage was the synchronisation between all four vehicles. That was one of the toughest things to do.
It took us about half a day, but before that, we had to do some visualisation. We became the “vehicle” and walked through each stage together, coordinating our actions carefully. There are four of us, and it’s hard for all of us to do the moves at the same time.
You have children, right? They must be super thrilled about watching their dad in action!
Yes, I have three young kids, two girls and a boy. My older daughter just turned six, my second daughter is four, and my son is two. Yah, they're really very excited. When my wife told my older daughter the news, she was like, "I just wanna go and see Papa!" It’s her first time going to watch the NDP "live".
And what do you enjoy doing in your free time, bro?
Most of the time, I spend weekends with my family, but I still do have date nights with my wife. We will go out to a bar, just to sit, chill, and listen to "live" bands.
Tell me more about the LSV!
The Singapore Army's LSV is a fast, lightweight anti-tank vehicle designed for rapid deployment. (We got to ride in it!) It can be heli-lifted into combat zones, reaching speeds of up to 110 km/h with a range of 500 km.
With advanced suspension and all-terrain tyres, it handles rough terrains effortlessly. Equipped with night-fighting capabilities, its infra-red headlights enable stealthy operations.
The LSV features a Multi-weapon Mast, supporting various weapon systems, including a Vehicle Launch Spike System (firing missiles up to 4000m) and an Automatic Grenade Launcher (firing 350 rounds per minute up to 1500m).
This versatility makes it a formidable force. Additionally, the LSV's Battlefield Management System (BMS) connects the crew to a network of combat systems, enhancing battlefield awareness and firepower.
IMAGE: NICK CHEE
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