Written Reply by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen to Parliamentary Question on Incident at Exercise Wallaby

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Defence (a) what has been the cause of the accident between two Hunter armoured fighting vehicles during Exercise Wallaby in Australia on 24 September 2024, leading to 12 servicemen suffering injuries; and (b) whether there are any lessons from this incident which can be applied to improve training and operational safety.

Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen:

On the night of 24 September 2024, an SAF Hunter Armoured Fighting Vehicle (AFV) rear-ended another during Exercise Wallaby while the vehicles were moving back to base at Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland, Australia. The 12 servicemen involved were sent to the nearest medical facility and were assessed to have sustained mild injuries. None required hospitalisation and were well enough to rejoin their units for training the next day.

A safety pause was called immediately following the incident. Preliminary on-site checks found that low visibility due to the dust clouds formed during movement of the Hunter AFVs was the likely contributory factor. It was also ascertained that the soldiers on board the vehicles had adhered to the safety protocols, including the use of seat belts and protective gear, and consequently only sustained no or mild injuries.

After the safety time-out, all drivers were reminded to maintain the requisite safety distances when driving, especially when visibility was poor. Troops were also reminded to adhere to safety protocols, including the use of safety equipment. The incident and reminders were further shared with participants of subsequent phases of the exercise and other units in Singapore through safety briefs.

In accordance with the SAF’s safety incident protocol, a formal investigation has been convened in the Army. Upon completion of the investigation, further lessons learnt and recommendations made will be implemented as appropriate.