There are, of course, counterarguments to this point. For example, in 2023, the Colt Infantry Automatic Rifle 6940, under Czech company Colt CZ Group, was chosen by the army to replace the Ultimax 100, in use for some four decades, as the new section assault weapon. Presumably, ST Engineering offered an upgraded variant, but it was not chosen.
A recent headline describing the Terrex contract announced by Singapore Technologies Engineering (ST Engineering) as a “win” prompted some readers of The Edge Singapore to take issue. Evidently, they are of the view that “win” is the wrong adjective, given how there is no competition for many of its contracts to begin with, as it is almost the “exclusive contractor” for the Singapore government.
The perception is not without grounds. For decades, ST Engineering, in one form or another, has been the key defence and security contractor deemed essential to Singapore’s functioning as an independent country.
