Twelve soldiers were reportedly injured when two tanks from the Singapore Armed Forces collided during a joint military exercise with the Australian Defence Force.
The accident happened on Tuesday night at the Shoalwater Bay training area in Queensland, Australia, where Exercise Wallaby 2024 is taking place.
According to Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), a Hunter armored fighting vehicle rear-ended another while maneuvering back to base.
All 12 Singapore military personnel were immediately transported to the hospital, sustaining “non-serious injuries.”
“The safety and well-being of our people is of paramount importance,” MINDEF noted. “The army has called for a safety pause to remind drivers to maintain proper distance.”
Meanwhile, the Australian Defence Force quickly dismissed reports that it was its armored vehicle that collided with the Singaporean tank.
It said no Australian personnel or vehicles were involved in the incident.
Exercise Wallaby
Exercise Wallaby is an annual military exercise conducted in close partnership between the armed forces of Singapore and Canberra.
It uses the Shoalwater Bay training area — a 274,000-hectare (677,000 acres) military facility located just about 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Rockhampton.
This year’s iteration is the 34th anniversary of the exercise, which started in 1990.
Exercise Wallaby 2024 started on September 8 and will end on November 3, making it the longest Exercise Wallaby ever conducted.
About the Hunter
The Hunter armored fighting vehicle is the Singapore Army’s first fully digitalized armored platform.
It is designed to enhance the lethality and survivability of infantry units, allowing them to operate more effectively on the battlefield.
The vehicle is equipped with a remote-controlled weapon station, a 30-millimeter armor piercing cannon, and anti-tank guided missiles.
Additionally, it is armed with a 7.62-millimeter coaxial machine gun and a 76-millimeter smoke grenade launcher.
A Hunter can carry up to 11 soldiers, including three crew members.