SHAH ALAM: The more the merrier part. In an earlier post with a similar title, Malaysian Defence reported that the Nurol Makina Ejder Yalcin will only be delivered there only in three or four years time.
This was based on reports quoting the-then Joint Force Command commander Lieutenant General Yazid Arshad on December 5. As I was not able to make it to the ceremony at Port Dickson, I had to rely on the MSM for the report. I also sent out feelers to industry sources regarding the statement, below.
“In the future, we plan to procure 20 armoured vehicles to replace the Condor vehicles we have now in phases between 2026 and 2028,” he told reporters after the medal presentation and dissolution of Malbatt 850-9 ceremony here today.
The sources told me that the delivery schedule for the Ejder Yalcin is next year (in the third or fourth quarter) as I had reported earlier. So, what about those vehicles to be sent to Malbatt in Unifil in 2025-time frame then? I was told that it was other vehicles though the sources declined to identify their types. I am assuming that this might include ten one-tonner Fitted For Radio vehicles equipped with counter, remote-controlled-IED jammers.
A contract for the ten vehicle-mounted jammers was awarded to Harapan Erat Sdn Bhd with the LOA of RM5.4 million. The tender for these jammers were issued in January, this year. It is likely the jammers will be mounted in the Cendana Auto FFR vehicles (the current FFR vehicles of the Army) based on the specifications of the tender. Even though the Eperolehan website did not posted the date of the contract award, it is likely the jammers will be ready around 2024, hence delivery will take place in 2025.
Anyhow, I was told that the twenty Ejder Yalcin (now renamed as Panthera 4X4 following the visit of Army Chief Gen Zamrose Mohd Zain to the Nurol Makina factory in Turkey on December 14) will be the last ones ordered for the time being as the UN had deemed it unsuitable for its peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. It preferred smaller, less warlike vehicles like the IAG Guardians (which goes to the argument by the Defence Ministry by simply buying more of them in the first place as mentioned in the earlier article).
In fact, the Army is already gearing up to tender for 59 High Mobility Light Tactical Vehicles (HMLTV) for future peacekeeping missions. The vehicles were mentioned by General Yazid at his December 5 press conference.
Yazid said the Armed Forces also planned to procure 59 High Mobility Light Tactical Vehicles which would be used by the army to enhance its operational capabilities.
Despite this, I was told that the tender for HMLTV might not survive the first contact with the new management at Jalan Padang Tembak.
— Malaysian Defence
View Comments (26)
Didn’t the UN want vehicles with a RWS in the first place? That certainly makes a vehicle very ‘war-like’ irrespective what vehicle it might be. Sounds like the UN is as incompetent as the Malaysian government.
They still want the RWS, its safer for the peacekeepers who has no need to poke out their heads out of the vehicles. The current situation in Lebanon is relatively benign but there are many actors around there who could change the situation quickly
No other peacekeeping nation in UNIFIL uses RWS armed armored vehicles for patrol.
yes, everyone there uses a manual mount but they are not buying new vehicles.
"It preferred smaller, less warlike vehicles like the IAG Guardians"
So the Ejder Yalcin with its tender purposely requests for weapon RCS is not suitable for UN! Oh the irony!
Clearly there, gone the argument that UN wants RCS in the 1st place. It is just a personal opinion of AGM so we can get more money from UN. Why it cannot be clearly answered by the Malaysian Army is the mystery.
The RWS requirements remain for NEW vehicles
"UN had deemed it unsuitable for its peacekeeping mission"
What?! Again?! Does it mean the UN won't be fully reimbursing us for the buys or something again? Hadn't we learn our lesson? The tender would have cleared such issues unless the tenderer didn't know what the requester(this case the UN) really wants. Now it really comes back to my previous point that we should at least get the selection vetted by UN before signing the deal. It only shows our incompetence if we can get this wrong again and again which can lead to us losing our standings during selection for future peacekeeping missions.
IMHO since the deal is still fresh, better if we can try nego the Turks to forget it and to perhaps get more UAS or something to compensate or else we can absorb the EJ for our local Condor replacement program, then to retender the APC requirement - this time with UN advice/suggestion.
"HMLTV might not survive the first contact"
Very few items survived the PH chopping block upon first contact last time. I wouldn't be surprised its the same this time around.
@kakadu
It is possible their designated sector were not high enough risk to require RWS unlike us.
"Less warlike"
The question is why,
Is it because Israel want it so?
No, the Israel don't have a vote here. Its mostly the local population
I got a brilliant idea if our purchase keep deemed unsuitable for UN mission..How about we dont buy anything..Save money,save time and just buy general purpose vehicles like ffr,lorry, forklift and backhoe..Leave the patrolling duty to other guys.Pretty sure the indonesians used Anoa for their peacekeeping mission..a full fledge 6x6 APC..
No, our mandate there is for our units to patrol our sector
Panthera 4x4
A very good 'peculiar to Malaysia' formality.
Later down the road they will call it Harimau Kumbang...
The HMTV is what MILDEF called their rentaka right?
Personally I really hope that it won't survive the first contact as we have gone around buying prototype for so long now.
Zaft - we have gone around buying prototype for so long now"
What "prototypes" have we bought? A "prototype" is something which has yet to fully complete development; not something yet to be widely sold.
Gempita, MKM and LCS comes to mind