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CAR816 Assault Rifles for Selected Army Units Soon?

A Paratrooper with an M4A1 Carbine with a full-length picatinny rail with Low Power Variable Optic and a monopod taking part in an exercise on December 26, 2024. BTDM

SHAH ALAM: In the previous article on the Caracal CAR816 assault rifles, I wrote that there were no plans to replace the M4A1 Carbine as the standard MAF assault rifle. It is simply too expensive, I was told. Despite this I have been told that there are plans in the works to buy a small batch of CAR816 A2 assault rifles specifically for the 10th Para Brigade.

Why the Paras then? Like the GGK, the brigade has upgraded some of its M4A1 Carbines with optics and other accessories and this could be seen especially on the Pandura -recon- troopers, a company strong unit attached to the headquarters.

Two paratroopers during an amphibious exercise on December 26 2024. The troopers M4A1 carbines has been upgraded with an upper receiver which has picatinny rails but only one is fitted with a red dot sight.

It is likely reconnaissance elements of the four paratrooper infantry battalions attached to the brigade are also equipped with carbines equipped with optics and other devices.
Officers from 17 RMR at a recent group photo. Note the M4A1 Carbines, some of which had been fitted with new upper receivers so optics and other accessories can be easily attached while some are standard ones. Tentera Darat picture

Officers across the brigade have also been pictured with upgraded carbines – stocks,optics and handguards – though it is unclear whether these were sourced at the unit level or paid out of their own pockets.
Paratroopers from 10th Brigade acting as the QRF escorting Raja Muda Perlis and his entourage during a charity visit to eastern Sabah in early March 2025. PDRM picture.

Despite this, most paratroopers are equipped with stock M4A1 Carbines though even the ones deployed to Op Pasir as QRF in the ESSCOM AOR. The current carbine – the Block 1 version – is fitted with a handle and standard hand grip are not capable of mounting various accessories from optics to laser and white light pointers. The carbine was supposed to have a removable carrying handle but even if it were replaced it could only be fitted with an optic and nothing else. To fit other accessories like laser and white light pointers and underbarrel grenade launcher, one need to change the upper receiver completely.
GOF/PGA troopers armed with Colt M4A1 Block 2 Carbine fitted with a flat picatinny rail instead of the Block 1 carry handle and round handguard.

PDRM’s M4A1 carbines (picture above) are the Block 2 version without the carry handle and fitted with full length picatinny rails and a front hand grip from the start though most are not equipped with optics.
A trainee soldier being coached by an instructor on how to shoot an M4A1 Carbine at the firing range in Port Dickson on March 11, 2025. The carbine is fitted with a removal carrying handle. Army.

It must be said that the intent to upgrade the M4A1 Carbine – Army wide – has been the talk for a while now – since they got them actually – but did not go past talks and proposals due to the costs involved. One recent proposal, I was told, quoted a price of RM100K to upgrade a single carbine. It will cost RM300 million to upgrade 3,000 carbines, if they bought at the quoted price. The cost of the proposed upgrade led to the idea of buying new rifles instead. Hence the talk about the Caracals. Well, we know from the Army shooting team tender, a brand-new rifle cost only RM35,000 each (likely without a scope and other accessories).
CAR816 A2 11.5 inch complete upper receiver, with the MLOK hand guard. This could be installed on AR15/M16/M4 lower.

So, will it cost up to RM100K to up-grade a single carbine? It will with high markups of course. It is cheaper, of course, if one checks gun sites of course. For example, Caracal USA on its website stated that an upper receiver of a CAR816 will cost US$1284 (see the picture below.)
The retail prices of CAR 816 A2 rifles and upper receivers. Screenshot from Caracal USA website.

At current exchange, US$1,284 US Dollars (USD) is RM5,676.56. Even with a fifty per cent markup, the same upper receiver will cost around RM12,000. A good optic (like the US Marines ACOG) will cost around RM12,000 as well. Add a laser pointer and white light combo the cost to upgrade a carbine will be around RM25,000 to RM30,000 (and that is my estimated price not from an actual agent).
Technical details of CAR816 A2. This is the US made version fitted with the MLOK handguard.

A new rifle like CAR816 A2 as shown by the Caracal USA website would also cost about the same ball park after adding the accessories – optics etc. So, if the order is for 3,000 new ARs, it will cost around RM90 million. If it costs around RM30,000 per rifle, including the accessories, of course. If the cost to upgrade a single rifle is RM100,000, for 3,000 rifles, it will cost RM300 million, enough money to stand up a new brigade (figuratively speaking of course).
Sig MCX upper receiver kit sold on the company website for US civilians. The upper receiver could be fitted on standard AR15 lower receiver.

For me, a better option is the Sig Sauer MCX upper receiver upgrade. The MCX has a similar operating system as the CAR816 and HK416, both piston-driven ARs. The MCX comes with a folding stock though which is convenient for use by paratroopers. Another option is the CZ Bren 3 rifle which has the same operating system as the other rifles above, but with options for foldable or telescoping stocks, again good for paratrooper use. Unfortunately, the Bren 3 upper receiver cannot be used on the M4A1 Carbine so we have to buy brand new rifles.
A CZ Bren 3 AR with a 14.5 inch barrel and a foldable stock, chambered for the 5.56mm ammo.

Again, it will not cost RM100K to buy the MCX upper receivers or even new Bren 3, or the CAR816 ARs. We just have to face facts.
For some background on the M16/AR15/M4 handguards check out the video below.

— Malaysian Defence

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Tags 10th Para BrigadeBren 3Caracal CAR816 A2Colt M4A1 CarbineGGKMAFMASTpDRMSig Sauer MCXSteyr AUG A3UGR
Marhalim Abas: Shah Alam

View Comments (34)

  • " To fit other accessories like laser and white light pointers and underbarrel grenade launcher, one need to change the upper receiver completely "

    No need

    You are confusing monolithic uppers with normal m4 uppers. You can just change the original M4 plastic hand guard with hand guards that have mlock or picatinny rails and you can install any accessories to your hearts content.
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FKjWajwVQAEVLLw.jpg
    These kind of hand guards cost less than RM500, even less if we CNC machine these ourselves in malaysia rather than buying it from overseas.

    Replacing M4 with CAR816 would give little if any firepower and lethality increase to the 10PARA units compared to just changing the hand guard to mount needed accessories.

  • CZ bren is pretty far removed from AE based rifle it's better to issue them to ninja units rather than to issue them even at a brigade level

    A cheaper upgrade is to replace the handguard of the M4A1 with the ones with Picatinny rail and then slap long relief 2x scope in front of the carry handle ala IDF's Menusar rifle (practically a sawn off M16A1). This kind of shit is where Stride should do their job and come up with local solution that can save cost for the military instead of relying on outside companies that ended up coming with prices that seemingly came out of their asses

  • RM100k markup for a single M4 upgrade?! Why can the goverment buy it directly from the manufacturers instead of relying on local agent...not like it's haram to do it

  • It has been told. This is not a crucial requirement as the fund should've gone for critical capabilities such as drones and counter drone warfare, missile or rockets development with 300M.

  • ... - "Replacing M4 with CAR816 would give little if any firepower and lethality"

    I doubt if that really was the intent. Anymore than replacing the AUG with the M4 was.

  • Great that the ASTROS unit has gotten the FlyEyes but we need to add to that. For a start large numbers of cheap and expendable commercial UASs. We also need - like we do lots of things - counter battery radars to add to Arthur.

    As seen clearly in Ukraine, UASs work best when paired with other assets and there is an actute need for a recce/strike capability, without which the "long range" and "precision fires" are useless. A recent NYT report details the extent which American intel was crucial. I pointed this out in the past when there was mention of Ukraine doing this and that and "can we", e.g. wasn't HIMARS and Storm Shadow by themselves but as part of a recce/strike complex.

    Lots of things we can do on paper but whether we will is the question. This proposal to replace the M4 shows how cocked up our priorities are.

  • Haiqal - "can the goverment buy it directly from the manufacturers instead of relying on local agent"

    The official reason is that it can contribute to local know how and in doing so improve the local industry so one day we can produce out own kit with minimal external help. That's why we hardly get any value for what we spend but you'd be surprised - some still buy into this self sufficiency "buatan tempatan oleh anak tempatan" thing. Others hold the view that it's fine to pay more to support the local industry - delusion.

    Naturally those who get the big contracts are the ones with the political pull as part of the system of patronage the defence industry, like others, has become.

  • dundun - "This kind of shit is where Stride should do their job and come up with local solution that can save cost for the military"

    To be fair to Stride at times it does come up with stuff but it does not get selected either due to funding or bureaucratic wrangling.

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