Advanced Combat Man System

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Advanced Combat Man System (ACMS) is Singapore’s effort to give frontline troops networked, modern gear for urban warfare. It is a joint project of the Singapore Armed Forces, the Defence Science and Technology Agency, and ST Electronics/ST Kinetics, and began in 1998. Led by Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Toh Yong Leng, ACMS aims to improve survivability, situational awareness, and reduce civilian casualties in urban operations, at an estimated maintenance cost of about SG$100 million.

ACMS has gone through several development phases and trials. Live testing occurred in 2006, with further trials in 2008 at the Murai Urban Training Facility. Field tests began in 2010 with two Singaporean Army battalions. ST Electronics is the main contractor, and R&D was completed by 2012, with ongoing refinements as field use expands. The system is designed to integrate with vehicle-based and static Rockwell Collins-Thales FlexNet-One networks.

The system comes in three modular configurations: Basic Fighting System (BFS) for combat capabilities, Commander Enhancement System (CES) for on-the-spot command and control, and the Information Management System. A Hand Held System supports mission planning tasks and works with the Full Fighting System. Core components include a soldier computer, weapon, helmet-mounted display, power supply, communications, and navigation, plus an armored load-bearing vest with a hydration bladder.

Weight has been a challenge. Early versions weighed about 25 kg, with later revisions reducing weight to around 12.5 kg, though some components remain heavy and can generate heat during use. The main weapon used is the SAR 21 with a Modular Mounting System. For communications, ACMS uses Selex Soldier Personal Radio with noise-reduction features, and it is designed to integrate with vehicle and static FlexNet-One networks.

Initially, helmet-mounted displays hindered aiming, so alternatives such as see-through displays and membrane displays have been explored. A lighter variant, ACMS Lite, adds ARM processing and mobile networking capabilities, including a smartphone-based interface for mesh networking and situational awareness to support command and control. The Android operating system is used for the smartphone to allow easy military customization and on-the-go use.

In trials, ACMS has been deployed to improve team coordination and information sharing, with ongoing developments to enhance usability, networking, and battlefield awareness for urban operations.