SHAH ALAM: Condor replacement programme part..It appears that the Defence Ministry is preparing for an open competition to find the replacement for the APC for the Malbatt mission in Lebanon. Berita Harian reported the statements by Defence Minister DS Ismail Sabri on the issue.

Kementerian Pertahanan kini dalam proses memanggil tender untuk pembekalan kenderaan pengangkut berperisai (APC) bagi menggantikan kenderaan itu dengan yang baharu.
Menteri Pertahanan, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, berkata pihaknya juga tidak akan membawa pulang kenderaan ketenteraan itu yang kini digunakan pasukan pengaman Batalion Malaysia 850-7 (MALBATT 850-7) di Lubnan.

“Kita tak panggil balik. Memang ia digunakan sebelum ini dan kita akan gantikan dengan yang baharu. Ia kini dalam proses memanggil tender.

“Kita akan hantar yang baharu bukan kerana yang dulu tidak ikut spesifikasi tetapi memang dalam perancangan kita dan sudah sampai tempoh kita akan ganti yang baharu,” katanya pada sidang media selepas Majlis Graduasi Kursus Maktab Pertahanan Angkatan Tentera

Apart from an open tender, which he did not say when, not much details can be gleaned from the above as I was not at the press conference. I am assuming that he was asked whether the ministry will replaced the IAG Guardians APC after the Auditor General Report found that it does not meet the UN specifications as posted earlier. If he meant the Guardians of course, it will not be shipped back but its likely the Condors which have been in Lebanon from the start of the mission since 2006. Infact as soon as the Condors were sent there, plans were afoot to replace them but to no avail.

Pindad Anoa.

Any how as I reported before the Army plans to replace the Condors in Lebanon had taken a new urgency in the last few years as the UN had told them that the condition of the vehicles were no longer up to standard and the Malbatt unit may be in danger of non compliance. Hence the decision to buy the Guardians some three years back.

The Guardian from the side.

Fast forward to 2020, I was told some 12 companies have shown presentations to the Army regarding their offers to replace the Condors. I was told that for the Malbatt, the plan was to buy some 24 vehicles with another 20 to 30 vehicles for the Army Ready Battalion which is kept ready for emergency UN peace keeping mission.

The Condor APCs are the main transporters of Malbatt QRF units.

Some of these vehicles have been tested in country following their participation DSA 2018 and some are brand new offerings. The new vehicles would have been tested locally before or after DSA 2020 but as you are all aware, the event was cancelled due to the coronavirus.

Hanwa Tigon 6X6 APC

The vehicle for Malbatt will be equipped with a RWS as it is one of the specifications listed by the Army. As for the type I am told it will be for a 12.7 HMG at least (which will allow the installation of a 7.62mm machine gun or an automatic grenade launcher).

A close up of the Reutech Rogue RWS.

I am told the tender will be published once the Army finalised the specifications, the word on the street is that for the Lebanon requirement it will be a 4X4 while for the ready batallion it will be a 6×6. Malaysian Defence has reported previously about the conundrum in a previous post.

— Malaysian Defence

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