SINGAPORE Technologies Electronics has won a $100 million contract from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) to build the Advanced Combat Man System (ACMS).

Under the contract, ST Electronics - the electronics arm of Singapore Technologies Engineering - will design and supply a package that combines sensors, communication devices and a computer, compact enough to be carried by individual soldiers. With the ACMS, a soldier can, for example, summon the firepower of the entire SAF by just sending a text message back to his commanders.

The home-grown system, developed by the Defence Science and Technology Agency and SAF, has been in the pipeline since 1998. Production will start immediately and the project is expected to be completed by 2012.

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