SHAH ALAM: A lot more NLAWs. As you are aware, Malaysian Defence had written about the Army procuring NLAW from Saab since before the pandemic. The disclosure came through two MTO notices published in 2018 and 2019. However, the procurement was never acknowledged publicly, by the Army and Saab themselves. Malaysian Defence however has confirmed with various sources of the procurement though.
However, we have not seen the NLAW making its public debut, not even at the annual Army live firing exercises though the pandemic may have something to do with it. Anyhow, the appearance of a NLAW training round at a recent ceremony was the clearest indication that the anti-tank weapon is in service with the Army.
According, to the Stockholm International Peace Institute (Sipri), Malaysia had procured 500 NLAWs from Sweden. The weapons, according to the SIPRI database were delivered in two batches in 2017 and 2019, which corresponded to the MTO tender published earlier.
Well, I understand that Sipri database might not be totally accurate, the fact that it is operating in Sweden might gave it a better insight into the weapons its own country exported and their recipients.
If the numbers of NLAW as stated by Sipri is correct, it is likely we will soon see it in action soon. In the next edition of the Army live firing exercise in Gemas next year.
— Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (4)
Great news. Now we can only hope it's also distributed to units apart from 10 Para and Gerak Khas. Ideally it will be a platoon weapon unlike larger and heavier tripod mounted systems which are battalion assets.
About time. We should make a study of Ukrain vs Russia n buy weapons thats proven effective there like the NLAW, JAVELIN, LOITERING MUNITIONS, SUICIDE DRONES. cheap compared to capital assets
The Ukraine also revealed that artillery especially with ISR capabilities are important
Lee - ''We should make a study of Ukrain vs Russia''
The Ukraine war offers a lot of reminders but doesn't really teach much of what we already didn't know from Libya, Syria, Iraq Yemen, Donbas and Nargano Karabakh. What makes the Ukraine was so different is not the lessons it teaches per see but the fact that it's peer on peer and protracted.
Lee - ''NLAW, JAVELIN, LOITERING MUNITIONS, SUICIDE DRONES.''
- Anti tank weapons are great against armoured units which don't practice combined armed tactics and have tanks lacking APSs and new gen ERAs. If the enemy practices combined arms and has APSs and new gen ERA on vehicles then Javelin and NLAW might not b effective
- UASs and loitering munitions are great against an opponent which doesn't have a layered defence against small targets hard to detect with radar or via IR. Ultimately UASs and loitering munitions are easy to shoot down if one has a layered and networked GBAD in the right density....
We must not assume that operational circumstances seen in the Ukraine will be replicated in any future conflict we're involved in.
Lee - ''cheap compared to capital assets''
As a former officer you'll know that there is no one size fits all solution; at times ''capital assets'' will be needed..