MILITARY VEHICLES: DEFTECH showcases its latest projects - GEMPITA AV8 8X8, LIPANBARA HMAV 4X4, HICOM HANDALAN II & MORE

 Lt. Kol (K) Dato' Amril showing us the newly named LIPANBARA armoured 4x4

I was at the Defence Services ASIA 2016 Exhibition (DSA2016) earlier today. The exhibition was nothing new to me as I had been frequenting it over the past decade or so for work. But today I was invited by the nice people at DRB-HICOM so that I get to participate in the sit down session with the Group CEO of DRB-HICOM Defence Technologies Sdn Bhd aka DEFTECH, Lt. Kol. (K) Dato' Amril Samsudin, to see what they've been doing in terms of military transportation and combat vehicles as well as their other stuff. Quite different from the norm eh? Well, variety is the spice of life.

First up was the topic of the supply and delivery of 222 units of the HICOM Handalan II 3 Tonne General Supply Cargo Truck for the Malaysian Army. DEFTECH had in the morning formalised the arrangement worth a total of RM73.7million to supply the Malaysian Army the said trucks. 

The 3 tonne truck is the staple vehicle that is used by the Malaysian Army for all their operations. This includes transport of troops and cargo during peacetime and also during wartime. It is the most efficient form of transport for the army. Obviously more economical than an armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicle. The main reason for the purchase of the new trucks by the Malaysian Army is the fact that 80% of their cargo truck fleet consists of trucks which are between 15 to 20 years old. 

The first batch of trucks are already in the midst of final preparations before they are to be handed over and all 222 units should be handed over to the Malaysian Army by the end of 2017. 

The Handalan II is a 4x4 truck derived from an Isuzu truck and built with a whole lot of localised content (in line with the Malaysian government's CKD guidelines by having over 40% at the minimum of local content). In the current setup the Handalan II can carry up to 4 800 kg on roads and 3 000 over rough terrain. It is equipped with a 195hp turbodiesel engine  and has a 4 speed automatic transmission. Vehicles variants include self-loading crane, vehicle fitted with tail lifter, logistic carrier, combat repaired vehicle, binned truck, communication shelter and commercial version i.e. Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department, Malaysian Civil Defence Department, RELA and other agencies as well as exports to Bangladesh, Brunei and Timor Leste. Strictly a government only special as the DRB-HICOM group has other brands that would cater for the commercial market (which have a different set of specifics if compared with milspec vehicles). 

The focus of DEFTECH according to Dato' Amril is to enable Malaysia to acquire technology. It has actually increased know how with the recent armoured vehicle contracts awarded to them by the Malaysian government, namely the ongoing 2012 award of the 257 GEMPITA AV8 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (shown above) that is a joint venture collaboration between DEFTECH, FNSS of Turkey, Denel of South Africa and Thales of France. Approximately RM80million have been spent on sending DEFTECH personnel to Turkey for training and technology transfer so that assembly of the AV8 can be carried out properly at the DEFTECH plant in Pekan, Pahang. Such know how is important as we have the capability to design, build and properly maintain such vehicles without the need of others when necessary. Of course, this is an as and when required thing as it is easy to just buy instead of build - look at Perodua instead of Proton, take some Daihatsu, change the badge. But look at Proton, they build from the bottom up. Look at how challenging things are. 

Dato' Amril also mentioned that he had actually spoke to the ex-CEO of Proton Dato' Harith (who now heads the automotive division of DRB-HICOM) that eventually there would be a time when DEFTECH may use technology that PROTON owns for its defence vehicles. Not in the near future obviously. But there could come a time. (Now note the prototype Proton EXORA with gun carrier mounts at the rear doors shown here - movable to fit assault rifles, submachine guns, shotguns and rifles - As a light urban transporter if could make good sense. Heck, the terrorists use Toyota pickups! Why can't  we use an Exora?)

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. 28 units of the AV8 8x8 (all wheel drive, all wheel steering, ABS, 3 crew+11 troops basic spec, Deutz 550hp/2890Nm engine with ) IFV have been delivered to the Malaysian Army. There are 12 variants of the AV8 and the latest is the Anti Tank Guided Weapons platform variant (54 units of this variant will be made) that was shown at DSA2016 for the first time. All delivery of the AV8 should be completed by 2020. The AV8 is the first 8x8 IFV that the Malaysian Army operates. 

Another big thing the contract worth RM140,980,000.00 for DEFTECH to supply 20 units of armoured 4X4 to the Malaysian Army. A cool RM7 million each. The contract was entered into last year and during DSA2016, they have officially named the High Mobility Armoured Vehicle (HMAV)  4X4 the 'LIPANBARA', named after the poisonous centipede found in Malaysian jungles. 

This has a 300hp engine, a two tonne payload and will be equipped with a 7.62mm gatling gun (shown below). It will also have laser warning and a 76mm gerenade launcher. Here, DEFTECH is collaborating with Chaseri Co. Ltd of Thailand under the ASEAN Defence Industry Initiative. This is more technology transfer for Malaysia. The LIPANBARA is based on Chaseri's First Win (I like this version's name -  LIPANBARA better, obviously. First Win sounds a tad bit corny)

And since the LIPANBARA is an ASEAN intiative, DEFTECH is looking for an export market with this HMAV 4X4. High hopes but I would think that this is quite a good start to going the way of an ASEAN consortium, like how the European countries started the Eurofighter project. Or like Airbus, a European joint effort. Two variants were displayed - the Malaysian army version and a Police version.

So whilst it would seem that the LIPANBARA could take the place of the long serving Condor Armoured Personnel Carrier (pictured below) it does not do so. The Condor's main role is taken up by the larger GEMPITA AV8. The LIPANBARA will serve in a different capacity as it is more mobile than both the Condor and the AV8.

 The Condor has served Malaysia since 1981. This could be the longest serving APC in Malaysia as it is loved by the Malaysian Army. It has proved its worth in the Battle of Mogadishu (that Black Hawk Down incident). The Condor, no matter how loved is to be decommissioned in 2018 but it would seem that there would still be a requirement for the Condor in light of current situation (like the recent action in Lahad Datu). The AV8 will only equip two regiments out of the four regiments of the Malaysian Army's Armoured Corps. So there is still a requirement for the Condors. DEFTECH via their subsidiary Defence Services Sdn Bhd (DSSB) has proposed an upgrade program for the Condor so that it can be used for another 15 or so years. 316 of them to be exact.

A prototype was displayed at DSA2016 and the proposal highlighted to the government. This is one of two units with work done to it. Upgrades include a larger engine from 168hp to 215hp, 491nm to 800nm or 13.4hp/ton to 16hp/ton (still no sports car here). The gearbox goes automatic from manual and this would obviously make life easier for the driver especially in the cramped driving area - you enter from the rear, sit down and then raise the seat back (see the pic below). Chubby boys like me would find it a bit tough to go in actually. Possible with a back sprain maybe. The upgrades also gets rid of the Condor's rigid axles for independent axles front and rear. Ride should be improved (but hey, don't take my word for it as I haven't driven it) as should ground clearance due to wheel articulation. No mention of additional armour. I suppose it would be lined with the latest in vehicle armour - in the current Malaysian Army configuration, the Condor is vulnerable to a RPG7 handheld rocket launcher. 

The upgrades would cost the Malaysian Army a lot less than buying more AV8s or more LIPANBARA. It makes perfect sense as the Condor still looks like it has a few decades more of service left in it. The Malaysian Army is very interested in this modernisation of the Condor but it is up to the people than run the government to green light such a project. But I do like the fact that if this goes through, the factory at Pekan will be extremely busy with the Handalan truck assembly, the AV8 assembly, the LIPANBARA assembly and the Condor upgrade program. 

One other interesting vehicle is the Jeep J8 (civilians get the CJ8 Wrangler version) that DEFTECH wants to propose to the Malaysian Army as the replacement for the current Fitted For Radio (FFR) vehicle and light utility variant. The current vehicle is the Land Rover Defender (which Jaguar Land Rover have stopped producing it as of January 2016). The J8 differs from the Wrangler as it has a reinforced frame chassis. There can also be ballistic armoured panels on the body and steeper departure and side slop angle clearance over the civvie version. It was shown towing a trailer at DSA2016.

There are also other non-four wheel projects that DEFTECH have entered, like the supply of spares for the Malaysian Army PT-91 Main Battle Tank and the its subsidiary CTRM's maintenance contract for the helicopters operated by the Malaysian Army's Air wing. This company has its hands in a lot of nice stuff in terms of technology. It brings in knowledge which is always a good thing in my book. It is a business venture. So, profit is bound to come into play but DEFTECH keeps people in small towns like Pekan fed. This is a good thing in a way. 

I personally like the fact that I get to view and see these vehicles in action. It's the kid in me that still gets all excited when I go to these sort of exhibitions and all the technology inside these vehicles. If there were no DEFTECH, I would have less of this to experience here in our small tropical country of Malaysia.

LIPANBARA Police Spec

Condor

CTRM Composite parts for aircraft

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