SHAH ALAM: The Procurement Division of the Defence Ministry has issued a tender for the procurement of 119 vehicles for the RMAF for various tasks and duties. The vehicles are described as general services (GS) vehicles meaning that it will be assigned for all personnel assigned to the task.
Fifty of the vehicles are to be 4X4 pick-up truck; twenty-one SUVs; thirteen three tonne truck with a hard top and canvas sider; twelve three-tonne truck, bonded with hydraulic tail lift; two all-terrain mobile platform and two parachute pick-up vehicle.
The other GS vehicles being sought are ten airfield-one vehicles; seven water-trailer hauler and two field ambulances.
The 4X4 pick-up, parachute pick-up vehicle, airfield one vehicle and the water trailer hauler may well be the same chassis but with different accoutrements. For example, the parachute pick-up and airfield one vehicles may need to be fitted with beacon lights on top of the cabin, radios and bright paints as they will be likely be deployed on the runway or aircraft aprons.
As for the vehicles, like the three-tonne trucks they will be used to carry people, cargo and other equipment. Note that I am making an educated guess here as usual the Eperolehan did not list the technical details of the vehicles on the public portion of the tender exercise. As the tender is issued for 49 days – March 21 to May 9, I am expecting at least fifteen companies to bid for it.
Yes, this kind of tender is not as sexy as the ones for fighter jets and other stuff, but it is this kind equipment which allows the services to do its job.
— Malaysian Defence
Let’s be sensible & be practical and go for an all Hilux fleet for the one tonners and Fortuner (basically a booted Hilux) for the SUV.
2 field ambulance look likely ford f350 by avp engineering
The air force had taken delivery of Hilux ambulances in the past. May well be that they want something similar rather than an oddball truck like the F350. The early 2000s Bomba also has F350 based fire trucks in service, they went out of favour very fast
When a vehicle that is not sold or supported here neither in Malaysia or within this region, its not hard to understand why they want to go for something more familiar that is easier & cheaper to maintain.