SHAH ALAM: The Procurement Division of the Home Ministry has issued a tender for the supply and delivery of tactical gear for the police’s VAT 69 counter terrorism team. The winning bidder will supply the gear -from head to toe – within two years of getting the Letter of Award.
The tactical gear sought are 561 tactical fast helmets, black, with ballistic visors; 100 tactical fast helmets, black, with 9mm ballistic visors and 661 head-sets in ranger green compatible with the issued Motorola XTS 2500 series radios.
Six hundred and eleven assault vests complete with accessories and level 3 armour plates; fifty assault vests complete with accessories, level 3 armour plates and a personal floating device; 461 belt kit with accessories; 200 belt kit with accessories and tourniquets; 661 hydration packs; 661 safety goggles and 661 safety eyewear.
661 tactical pants and 661 tactical shirts, both in ranger green; 661 ranger green balaclavas; 661 tactical belts; 661 pistol lanyards; 661 half finger gloves in ranger green; 661 elbow pads and 661 knee pads; 661 ranger green sub-machine gun slings; 661 coyote brown assault boots; 540 personal rappel kit including bag and black multicam rappelling suits; 661 100 litre black deployment bags and 661 black three-day deployment light weight packs.
It is interesting to note that items being sought are listed as local products even though only a few are manufactured locally.
The estimated cost for the tender is RM19.4 million. It is interesting to note that the highest number (661) of gear being sought is likely the authorized strength of VAT 69. Though as usual real time numbers are usually lower. The unit is AFAIK is divided into five squadrons namely – counter insurgency; counter-terrorist team; paratroopers, snipers and waterborne team. It is likely that the operators from the squadrons are cross qualified with the CIW and CT teams are backed-up with those from the other squadrons. I stand to be corrected of course.
In public exhibitions, the VAT 69 displayed their firearms which include the M4A1 carbines, CZ Scorpion sub-machine guns, FN SCAR H 7.62mm rifles and Accuracy International 388 Lapua Magnum sniper rifles. They are also armed with Minimi LMG and RPG-7 rocket launchers.
— Malaysian Defence
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Somehow our PDRM gets better gear than our ATM. The difference in quality is quite glaring,
These new VAT 69 gears looks a lot like IDF ones you’d be forgiven to think they’re IDF soldiers if you didn’t see the patches and the generally asiatic faces
Huh?
Interestingly its is a police unit and the only such unit in the country raised and modeled on the SAS.
Hasnan,
It’s only one unit. Doesn’t indicate the police gets better stuff.
>pdrm get better gear than ATM?
You’re comparing a literal ninja unit with the regular grunt unit when in reality some cops are still issued 50 y.o revolver, M16A1 rifle and 20 y.o body armor
Yes, I am comparing VAT69 to the GGK. Even 10 Para looks better than our GGK.
And 45/50 year old APCs; some of which are so underpowered that the occupants have to get off when going up a slope. Not to mention having 90/20mm guns for which ammo was never issued.
Not to mention having 90/20mm guns for which ammo was never issued.(Azlan)
It’s comments like this that makes me wonder why on earth did they issue such fire support guns to the police. And why the Home Ministry still insists on having such huge budgets to buy defence/security equipment when the police stations are woefully inadequate where the personnel have to tong-tong to buy toner or even copiers to do their jobs!
661 black fast helmets and 661 green fast helmets so basically they each have multiple fast helmets, do they actually need that many per person when our regular troops dont even have one per person yet? Seems like too much money going to PDRM even just their elite unit.
Speaking of which no matter how these guys are still PDRM, the police basically. Do they actually need to be armed until SCAR H battle rifles calibre and RPG7? Sounds like their more military than paramilitary. I mean in which other country does the police come with RPGs anyway?
No lah, they only asked for 100 green fast helmets, this is likely for operations. Black ones for training.
The SCAR H is for designated marksmen while the RPG-7s are short range anti-structure weapons. Both came out of the Op Daulat experience.
Those were bought during the Emergency.
Ahh okay I was confused with “661 head-sets in ranger green” with a helmet
”I mean in which other country does the police come with RPGs anyway?”
Quite a few para military organisations and police units around the globe have shoulder launched weapons and heavier things.
”Speaking of which no matter how these guys are still PDRM, the police basically”
They are but look at why the unit was raised [by the Brits SAS]; the ops it performed during the 2nd Emergency and the type of roles it’s still expected to perform today.
Taib – ”It’s comments like this that makes me wonder why on earth did they issue such fire support guns to the police.”
The PFF was a para military organisation organised on military lines and during the 2nd Emergency conducted its own ops. No army veteran I’ve asked has anything good to say about the PFF’s COIN abilities but that’s a different story. The PFF traces its lineage to the police ‘Jungle Squads’ which during the 1st Emergency was an effective unit.
Ammo for police APCs 90/20mm guns; as well as 81mm mortars [put up for sale years ago] were never issued due to army objections. Like army V-100/50s police V-100/50s escorted convoys and protected key installations.
Taib – ”And why the Home Ministry still insists on having such huge budgets to buy defence/security equipment ”
As I have pointed out previously: the fact that the police is of a certain size and the Home Ministry gets ‘X’ budget is an indication of where the government sees likely threats from – clear as day. Some [with justification] saw the few battalions of the PFF as also insurance in the event [read between the lines] of certain types of troubles.
Hasnan – ”Even 10 Para looks better than our GGK.”
That’s a superficial assessment.
Ok, question. What if a foreign army were to theoretically invade the country….can VAT 69 be used against that army? Being police, are they allowed to?
Of course
Tom Tom- ‘’can VAT 69 be used against that army?‘’
The question to really ask is in the event of a hostage situation when would Gerak Khas rather than VAT69 or another non military unit be used? In the event of a plane hijacking when would PASKAU rather than a non military unit be involved?
“police units around the globe have shoulder launched weapons”
Would be interesting to know which ones, excluding USA police, despotic tyrants paramilitary guard squads, or Fedayen types, or those actively at war with insurgents… similar to our benign environment.
@TomTom
“can VAT 69 be used”
When that time comes, even Rela members who had gun training could be drafted if the armed forces are stretched too thin.
”Would be interesting to know which ones”
The PNP’s SAF [the unit which got hit at Mamasapano]; Mexican police units which face the cartels and special unit of the Thai police which guards the borders [not the Thahan Phran]. These are just examples I can give from the top of my head – police [not para-military units].
” similar to our benign environment.”
The whole idea of giving them shoulder fired weapons is because the environment is not ”benign” or they might face a situation which isn’t. As Marhalim pointed out it was due to experiences at Lahad Dato that VAT 69 got RPGs. AS for VAT 69 it’s a police unit but as mentioned; look at why the unit was raised [by the Brits SAS]; the ops it performed during the 2nd Emergency and the type of roles it’s still expected to perform today.