SHAH ALAM: Nucleus Army Intelligence Battalion. The Army’s Royal Intelligence Corps (RIC) has stood up a nucleus battalion sized unit – BN 166 Risik Tentera Darat (BN 166 Intelligence Tentera Darat). Battalion 166 according to the Malaysian Defence Intelligence Organisation (MDIO) director-general Lt General Datuk Ahmad Norihan Jalal, was set up to boost the readiness of the RIC to prepare against various new threats which were more complex. Ahmad Norihan is also the head of the RIC was speaking at the corps 53rd anniversary at the Armed Forces Intelligence College, Mentakab, Pahang on December 6.
Apart from the new unit, RIC has also procured Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) to enhance the land surveillance capability in the peninsular, Sabah and Sarawak, according to Ahmad Norihan. He did not identify the UAS procured but the MDIO had procured three sets of VTOL fixed wing UAS from a local company, Global Das Sdn Bhd, with a RM10.7 million Letter of Award. The tender for the UAS was published in June, 2021. Apart from this contract, MDIO has also procured an undetermined number of commercial of the shelf drones for Ops Benteng.
Based on the report below by BTDM, it is unclear whether the BN 166 will be the operator of the UAS though it may well be. RIC currently has two units designated as battalions – BN 165 and 92 Special Branch Battalion and two others designated as regiments – 91st Special Combat Intelligence Regiment and 93rd Signals Intelligence Regiment.
PAHANG: Ketua Pengarah Perisikan Pertahanan (KPPP) merangkap Pengerusi Kor Risik Diraja (KRD), Lt Jen Datuk Ahmad Norihan Jalal optimis dan yakin bahawa KRD akan menjadi sebuah entiti perisikan kelas pertama dengan mandat dan sokongan daripada kerajaan serta Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM) dalam meningkatkan keupayaan dan pembangunan kor.
Pengerusi KRD menekankan kepelbagaian dimensi landskap geostrategik semasa, serantau dan antarabangsa telah merealisasikan beberapa inisiatif seperti penubuhan Tim Nukleus Batalion 166 Risik Tentera Darat (Bn 166 Risik TD) bagi meningkatkan tahap kesiagaan kor untuk menghadapi pelbagai ancaman baharu yang lebih kompleks.
Susulan itu juga, perolehan aset Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) dapat meningkatkan lagi pengawasan udara di peringkat operasi daratan di semenanjung Malaysia, Sabah dan Sarawak.
Terdahulu, Pengerusi KRD menerima tabik hormat dan memeriksa perbarisan melibatkan empat detasmen berkekuatan seramai 15 pegawai dan 185 anggota Lain-Lain Pangkat (LLP) yang diketuai oleh Lt Kol Janie Ratib dari Tim Nukleus Bn 166 Risik TD dengan diiringi pancaragam gabungan platun tambor Batalion Kelapan Rejimen Askar Melayu Diraja (8 RAMD) dan Batalion Ketujuh Rejimen Renjer Diraja (Mekanize) (7 RRD (Mek)).
Perbarisan kemudian diteruskan dengan penyampaian Anugerah Kecemerlangan KRD yang disempurnakan oleh Pengerusi KRD ke atas sembilan pegawai dan 13 anggota LLP.
Anugerah kecemerlangan turut disampaikan bagi kategori sukan melibatkan seramai empat pegawai dan lapan anggota LLP yang merangkul johan dalam perlawanan bola jaring di peringkat TD manakala naib johan di peringkat ATM.
Sejurus tamat perbarisan, Lt Jen Datuk Ahmad Norihan Jalal sempat menyantuni mantan-mantan Pengerusi dan Pengarah KRD serta veteran-veteran KRD yang hadir dalam sambutan tersebut.
Usai perbarisan, sambutan HUT KRD diserikan lagi dengan acara memotong pulut kuning dan jamuan makan sebelum Pengerusi KRD beredar meninggalkan majlis.
Turut hadir, Timbalan Ketua Pengarah Perisikan Pertahanan, Mej Jen Dato’ Mohd Razali Alias, Group Managing Director of Weststar, Tan Sri Syed Azman Syed Ibrahim, mantan Ketua Pengarah Perisikan Pertahanan, Lt Jen Dato’ Sri Abdul Hadi Hj Hussin (B), Presiden Kelab Veteran Risik Malaysia, Mej Jen Dato’ Hj Mohd Zahar Hj Hashim (B) dan pegawai-pegawai kanan KRD.
It is interesting to note that Weststar managing director TS Syed Azman Syed Ibrahim (picture above) was a guest at the anniversary parade. One must wonder whether the UAS procured by the RIC is sourced from Weststar.
Anyhow, RIC remains part of the Army though its personnel formed the large bulk of the MDIO – which technically is part of the RIC – which report to the Armed Forces chief. Will this make it hard to merge the MDIO and the Cyber and Eletro-magnetic Warfare Division (BSEP) like what the Singaporeans did? Yes.
— Malaysian Defence
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It’s possible that this is the UAS [a Chinese one] displayed at DSA by a local company which said it had sold to the army. In the late 1990’s
several ASKARAD radars were bought; no idea if they’re still around.
In the early 2000’s the army had a 2nd recce battalion but stood it down.
“VTOL fixed wing UAS”
Since when did choppers, manned or unmanned, are called fixed wing?
When it is fitted with fixed wing
Is our intel structure still mostly based on countering the communist, or now geared towards fighting another similarly-sized army?
Other than non-state actors from the philippines, we should focus our intel on collecting informations on potential adversaries.
RIC in my opinion should focus more on the strategic side of things (HUMINT, COMINT, ELINT). While RIC would also have a need for UAVs, fixed wing UAVs that would be mainly used for STA (Surveillance and Target Acquisition) would be better placed under Division Artillery HQs of the Royal Artillery Rgt.
There should also be permanent RIC battalions/regiments serving the East Malaysia, which currently has none.
There was a janes report that the uav is from jouav china together with malvussense from malaysia
I think you need a Wataniah battalion with a special pay grade to get involvements from our local profesionals.