SHAH ALAM: The Army has stood up another ad-hoc artillery – 23 RAD (ad-hoc) – regiment, this time equipped with the Denel G5 MkIII 155mm howitzers. 23 RAD is operating out of Kamunting camp in Taiping, Perak, according to a February 18 post by Berita Tentera Darat Malaysia (BTDM). The unit is operating from the same camp with 3 RAD which is the close support battalion equipped with the Oto Melara 105mm pack howitzers.

Based on the pictures on the post, 23 RAD is equipped with at least one battery of G5 guns though it may have more.

LAWATAN TEKNIKAL PENGARAH ARTILERI KE REJIMEN KE-23 ARTILERI AD HOC
PERAK: Pengarah Artileri, Brig Jen Dato’ Zulmajdi Yunus telah membuat lawatan teknikal ke pasukan Rejimen Ke-23 Artileri Diraja Ad Hoc (23 RAD Ad Hoc) bertempat di Kem Kamunting pada 14 Feb 2023.
23 RAD Ad Hoc telah ditubuhkan secara rasmi pada 9 Nov 2022 di penempatan sementara Kem Kamunting dengan menggunakan bangunan sedia ada milik 3 RAD.
Lawatan ini bertujuan melihat sendiri perkembangan semasa bagi fasa pengumpulan anggota sejak awal penubuhan pasukan.
Terdahulu, ketibaan Pengarah Artileri telah disambut oleh Komander Artileri Divisyen Markas Artileri Divisyen 2 Divisyen Kol, Mohd Tarmizi Hj Basri serta Pegawai Memerintah 3 RAD.
Beliau kemudian mendengar taklimat yang dibentangkan oleh Penolong Pegawai Memerintah 23 RAD Ad Hoc sebelum mengadakan perjumpaan bersama lima pegawai dan 40 anggota Lain-Lain (LLP) di Dewan Serbaguna 3 RAD.
Dalam ucapannya, beliau menekankan tugas utama yang harus dilakukan sebagai krew meriam dengan baik dan senggaraan secara berkala demi menjaga status kuasa tembakan pasukan

According to SIPRI, Denel delivered 22 G5 howitzers in 2001 and 2002. Most of the guns are with 21 RAD based in the Sirajuddin camp in Gemas, Negri Sembilan. 23 RAD is likely attached to the Second Division (2 Div) which is headquartered in Bayan Lepas, Penang and 21 RAD with Third Division (3 Div) in Terendak, Malacca. First and Fifth Divisions (1 Div and 5 Div) both in Sarawak and Sabah are currently without any 155mm howitzer regiments. 22 RAD is supposed to be with 5 Div but no news on this unit whether it has been stood up or not.

The fastest way to recapitalise the RAD is to buy new 155m howitzers to replace the 105mm pack howitzers, of course. But this will take a long time as the Army seemed intent to get more armoured vehicles – either 6X6 or 4X4s – instead of long-range fires capabilities either tube or rockets.

By the way, I have been told that the deal to purchase 155mm SPH from Turkey was one of the five contracts cancelled as it was done via direct negotiations.

— Malaysian Defence

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