SHAH ALAM: New Army training facility. Army chief Gen Zamrose Mohd Zain has opened a new training facility for Operations in Build Up Area (OBUA) – urban warfare – at the Sempadi firing range in Lundu, Sarawak, located some 100km northwest of Kuching, the capital of the state. The ceremony was held on June 3, 2021.
The facility is dubbed ZamZoV (Zamrose OBUA Village) as Zamrose was instrumental in initiating the construction of the facility when he was the Eastern Field Command commander prior to his promotion as Army chief in June last year.
Soldiers from 10th Border Regiment in ZamZoV as part of the opening gimmick of the training facility. Note the FAST helmets.
The facility was constructed by personnel from the 3 Skn of the Royal Engineer Regiment who completed the task in 150 days.
Soldiers from 10th Border Regiment descending from the hill to assault the village during the opening ceremony. Tentera Darat.
ZAMZOV, INFRASTRUKTUR LATIHAN PERTEMPURAN ANGGOTA TENTERA DARAT DI SARAWAK
LUNDU, 3 Julai 2021 – Anggota Tentera Darat yang bertugas di negeri Sarawak pastinya berasa bangga dan bertuah apabila Kompleks Latihan ‘Operations in Build Up Areas’ (OBUA), medan latihan untuk mempertingkatkan kemahiran pertempuran di kawasan urban, siap dibina sepenuhnya di Lapang Sasar Sampadi, Lundu Sarawak.
Kompleks latihan yang diberi nama ZAMZOV (ZAMROSE MOHD ZAIN OBUA VILLAGE) itu, merupakan cetusan ilham Panglima Tentera Darat (PTD) Ke 28, Jeneral Tan Sri Datuk Zamrose bin Mohd Zain, ketika beliau menjawat jawatan sebagai Panglima Medan Timur Tentera Darat Ke-3.
Pembinaan kompleks tersebut dilaksanakan oleh pasukan Skuadron Ketiga Rejimen Askar Jurutera Diraja (3 Skn RAJD), mengambil masa selama 150 hari dan telah siap sepenuhnya pada 30 Oktober 2020 yang lalu.
Tan Sri PTD, yang dalam rangka lawatan kerja beliau ke Sarawak berkesempatan menyempurnakan Majlis Perasmian Kompleks ZAMZOV yang diadakan secara ringkas dan mematuhi SOP PKP pada hari ini.
Tan Sri PTD turut menyaksikan Demonstrasi Kompetensi OBUA yang dilaksanakan oleh Batalion ke – 10 Rejimen Sempadan (10 RS) iaitu pasukan di bawah 31 Briged yang diterajui oleh Brigedier Jeneral Sarman bin Bahrom. 10 RS merupakan pasukan pertama menggunakan infrastruktur Kompleks ZAMZOV dalam latihan OBUA ini.
Infrastruktur ini merupakan kompleks latihan pertama yang dibina di negeri Sarawak.
Sesungguhnya pembinaan infrastruktur latihan sebegini adalah sejajar dengan Tonggak Pertama Perintah Ulung PTD Ke-28 iaitu, “Kelangsungan Misi dan Kesiagaan”. Tonggak ini menitikberatkan kepada usaha mempertingkatkan keupayaan dan kesiagaan Tentera Darat Malaysia (TDM) dalam melaksanakan sebarang misi dan operasi.
Warga TDM turut berbangga dengan pembinaan infrastruktur latihan tempur terbaharu ini dan diyakini ia mampu mempertingkatkan kompetensi dan kemahiran anggota dalam operasi di kawasan urban.
ZamZov is the Army’s second purpose built OBUA training facility, the first one is the ZulCoV – named after the then Army Chief General Zulkiple Kassim – located at Pulada (the Army training centre) in Ulu Tiram, Johor Bharu and commissioned in 2017.
ZulCoV was funded by the Australian Department of Defence. Both are equipped to handle training for around a dozen dismounted soldiers at one time.
— Malaysian Defence
There was a report a couple of years ago about brigades constructing “urban training villages” – if I remember correctly 2 of these “villages” were constructed.
It’s good that we are finally putting more focus on urban ops training as any future trouble with a state a actor will take place in an urban environment for the reason that the country is rapidly becoming more urbanised and that most areas of strategic importance are in an urban setting.
A reason example of an army which was caught unprepared for a major urban op was the Philippines army. It went through a very steep:expensive learning curve and had to adapt as it went along.
Those villages were temporary set-ups using quarters or facilities waiting for refurbishment. This has been the case since the 1990s. BTDM recently reported that the RAJD is working to set up a combined arms training facility at the Sirajuddin camp in Gemas. Hopefully this will include an OBUA village as well
Are these facilities only for infantry OBUA training or are they village sized areas big enough for armoured-infantry-heli borne combined arms?
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The two OBUAs are too small for anything more than a squad of soldiers. A combined arms training facility is being built at the Sirajuddin camp, no details on the size
“A combined arms training facility is being built”
Yeah really need a dedicated combined arms one, a mix of low level spread out structures and a tightly packed high rise (4-10 storeys) plot of buildings. Special Ops team could also train for tactical insertion/extraction missions into urban hot zones.
If not mistaken I recalled ATM had done some armoured-infantry exercises in abandoned unfinished developed areas? I recalled seeing photos of AV8 & troops going thru some sort of urban areas.
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That was in Bukit Beruntung some ten years back. No AV8 s but Pendekar tanks were involved. I reported on that exercise. The Army training commander then said he will proposed to the leadership to buy the area for such training, it never happened of course.
Oh i see. I’ve been to BB a few times through out my years for work and it remains a very undevelop area with pockets of dead half finished urban structures. Of recent years I do see more and more new projects creeping towards it mostly suburban homes. So i guess it wasn’t a good idea to setup there anyways. But imagine we were ahead of the curve 10 years ago and nothing done since until this Sirajuddin camp. Sigh.
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The place where the urban training was done was at the far end of Bukit Beruntung on the way to Pekan Rasa. It is pretty isolated really and it had a forest area behind which greatly dampened the sound of the training.
Hasn’t the army also got a virtual one somewhere as well?
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Yes its at Sirajuddin camp as well
Personally speaking,virtual village cannot beat actual training village….the realism is just not there…
The men are suppose to built up MUSCLE MEMORY,REFLEXES thru the training….
If sniper n infantry ranges with senario I will agree….the best put good use to the fund allocated,to something that is proven or best still buy new equipment for urban war fighting…..example micro UAV, cornershot gtanade launcher etc……
Stuff highly essential for urban ops but not on standard issue would to infantry units would include ropes, ladders, jack hammers, explosive charges, etc. Something else very vital but which can be an issue at short notice is up to date maps in the right scale and in quantities.
Simulators and virtual aids (whether gunnery, artillery or for war gaming at an operational level) are not intended to replace or do away with actual training; it’s intended as a supplement. Both going hand in hand.
See guys…usa..xperimented but they never have virtual infantry simulator…even their contracted army ( mercenaries ) train in actual built up training ground and why should we be the guinea pig..?
Its best those bit of money is spend on special equipments for fibua use…none use flamethrower we start…few will use thermobaric granade why not introduce it in our military tactic…introduce vertical uav in fibua tactic to have an overall view for commanders…tactical ladder is platon level must have…battery operated power tools…tungsten rounds for shotgun for breaching doors…etc
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They used both virtual and real life simulators lah. Just Google it. Virtual ones are usually for small scale unit training exercises up to the battalion level designed to built up competency. They also have large OBUA village for training using live and simulated ammunition. Live and simulated OBUA simulators are different ones of course. It depends on the budget.
Again : actual training and virtual simulators go hand in hand; they complement/supplement each other. None is intended to do away with the other … Also the idea that we are a “guinea pig” is laughable. Lots of countries rely on virtual simulators to (again) supplement/complement actual live training ….
@RedSot
stop talking idiot
Lots of you guys can disagree….just look at our military budget….you think its enough to go round….
Look at all the project..LMS..LCS…Heli for army…..
The actual FIBUA village is much more cheaper to maintain and service per month compared to a virtual FIBUA ” studio “…unless ATM defence budget is comparable to our SOUTHERN neighbour.
It is new now and sooner it might be a white elephant.Its best what money that is projected for daily and monthly maintenance for the virtual ” studio ” to be used to buy and introduce equipments for FIBUA warfare.
Now I may look like an idiot…we shall see…
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No one is disputing a field OBUA – local ones at least – is easier to maintain and cheaper to build. And no one is disputing the Army can’t afford many things.
But you stated that the US don’t used virtual simulation – so we don’t need them- which is completely wrong.
“…we shall see…”
Indeed …..
Most may not realise but the army has long realised the value of simulators/aids to add to existing training arrangements; i.e.we got
Small Arms Weapons Effect (SAWES) in the mid 1990’s, the first artillery simulator (from a local company) during the same period, etc.
Even today the army operates various simulators from a high end battle planning one from Saab to low tech locally sourced driving ones for softskin drivers. They all – like the virtual one discussed – have a useful role to play and do not (unlike the impression given) cost and arm and leg to upkeep.
All of course (have to mention it) are intended to supplement/complement actual training (not do away with it) and they also reduce the level of wear and tear on actual equipment and by doing so enables cost savings.
RedSot,
First, take a time to actually READ the article and the replies to your comments. If others called you an idiot it’s because you’re behaving like one, and since you yourself agree to it then well so be it.
Now, going through the replies, both Azlan and Marhalim said that the Army used BOTH virtual and real-life simulators. And the FIBUA village that you’re babbling about, it was already built by KJR as mentioned in article.