KUALA LUMPUR: Thanks to reader N. Mohamed, we now know that in 2005, MINDEF purchased 20 Amraams from the US. The matter was reported to the UN Conventional Arms Register.

What is the UN Conventional Arms Register? According to its website:

On 6 December 1991, the General Assembly adopted resolution 46/36 L entitled “Transparency in armaments”, which requested the Secretary-General to establish and maintain at United Nations Headquarters in New York a universal and non-discriminatory Register of Conventional Arms, to include data on international arms transfers as well as information provided by Member States on military holdings, procurement through national production and relevant policies.

The Register comprises seven categories of major conventional arms, namely, battle tanks, armored combat vehicles, large-calibre artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships (including submarines) as well as missiles and missile-launchers. It has been in operation with effect from calendar year 1992. Thus far, a total of 170 Member States have reported to the Register one or more times. The Register captures the great bulk of the global arms trade in the categories of conventional weapons covered by it.

So now we know. However, since the purchase was made in 2005, there is still a chance that the missiles have not been delivered, so since Lima is coming along, it will be another thing that I will have to remind myself to ask the Few Good Men!

If you want to look for yourself you can go to the website and read up about our register and those of our neighbours. I have taken the liberty to download and listed below is the arms that we have registered so far.

There is no mention of the Kedah class and the combat boats, while the PT91 and Flanker should be in the register next year. Also note there were five years (2006,2004,2001,1998 and 1992) that Malaysia did not report any major arms purchases. 1998 was academic but the rest?). Also for the 1999/2000, we registered the same purchases.

There is also no mention of the missiles and bombs purchased for the Hornets and Fulcrums in the register, which led me to wonder why they listed the AMRAAMS?

Those in the italics are my comments. Sorry it may look convoluted as I have no idea to convert it into Excel! Thanks again N.Mohamed!

Malaysian Register in the UN Conventional Arms Register’

2005

United States of America

20 units Advance Medium Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM) AIM120 C-5

Brazil 1,296 units Astros SS-30HE Rockets

2003

Pakistan 160 units 72 Missiles Short Range Surface to Air Missile (ANZA MK11)

450 units Anti Tank Guided Missile (Bakhtar Shikan)

Large calibre artillery system South Africa G5/155mm Mk 111 Towed Howitzer

Armoured combat vehicles Turkey 211 (Adnans) – Infantry Fighting Vehicle-116

Anti Armour Vehicle-8 ; Armoured Mortar Carrier-10; Armoured Command Vehicle-24

Armoured Ambulance Vehicle-25; Armoured Ambulance Vehicle-13, Armoured Vehicle Signal-13; Armoured Vehicle Filter-7 (fitter?) and Armoured Vehicle Recovery-8

2002

Large calibre artillery systems South Africa 6 /155mm 45 calibre Gun (Denel G5)

Warships France 2 Submarine (Prime Minister’s Class)

Missiles and missile launchers UK 9 Launchers/72 Missiles (Jernas) Air Defence System

Russia 40 Launchers /382 Missiles Air Defence System (Igla manpads?)

France 30 Torpedo (the report mentioned Italy is the originator, so its most probably Whitehead torpedoes for the submarines)

1999/2000

Warships 2 Italy Corvette (the last two of Laksamana class)

2 UK Frigate (Lekiu and Jebat)

Missiles and missile launchers 12 Otomat missiles Italy ( Laksamana class)

8 Aspide Italy (Laksamana class)

16 Exocet (MM40? Lekiu class?)

32 Seawolf (Lekiu class)

All fitted on board (ships?)

1997

Combat aircraft United States of America 8 FA/18 D Hornets Procurement through contract

Warships Italy 2 Missile Corvette Laksamana Class Procurement through contract

1996

Large calibre artillery systems Switzerland 8 35 mm Artillery Gun Procurement through contract

VII. Missiles and missile launchers France 20 Exocet MM40 Block 2 Missile Procurement through contract

1995

Armoured combat vehicles Republic of Korea 47 Korean Infantry Fighting Vehicles

IV.Combat aircraft Russian Federation 18 units MIG 20 Aircraft Series 20/39 UB (? Probably a typo

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 5 units HAWK Series 100 – 200

VI.Warships United States of America 1 unit Landing ship tank

1994

Armoured combat vehicles Republic of Korea 22 Korean Infantry Fighting Vehicles

IV.Combat aircraft United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

23 units HAWK Aircraft Series 100 200

1993.

II.Armoured combat vehicles Republic of Korea 42 Korean Infantry Fighting Vehicles

III.Large calibre artillery systems United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

3 units 155 mm Artillery Guns.

 

–-MalaysianDefence

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