Page 27 - ADT APRIL 2022 Online Magazine

Nexter at DSA 2022 to assemble Nexter’s than 257 units of the eight-wheeled AV8 have been produced and
Caesar 155 mm Self-Propelled Howitzer at used by then Malaysian Army since 2014, the six-wheeled AV6 is
its facility in Malaysia. This is conditional on designed to meet the requirement of the Malaysian Army for the
the Caesar being selected by the Malaysian “Next Generation Wheeled Armoured Vehicle” project to replace
Army for its next Self Propelled Howitzer (SPH) the old Condor 4×4 APC with the AV6. Currently under testing by
tender. the Malaysian Army, it is expected that 400 of the new AV6 will be
produced by the company. [ SHOW REPORT ]
ADS and Nexter have been business part-
ners for 12 years. In a joint statement after the FNSS Savunma Sistemleri A.Ş, a Turkish defence manufacturer
inking the MoU, ADS stated “This collabora- has important projects underway in Malaysia, Indonesia and the
tion aims to enhance the innovation of artillery Philippines and made its first export to the region in 2000 with the
systems for the Malaysian Armed Forces by ACV project. Malaysia inked a contract with Turkey in December
providing advanced services and technologies 2019 for the development and production of 257 Malaysian AV8
from Nexter,” and that ADS has also “[…] envi- armoured wheeled vehicles. Under the US$559 Million contract
sioned an intensive economic development
in Malaysia’s artillery industry” with the MoU.
Nexter has achieved notable success with the
Caesar 155 mm SPH with orders from Thailand
and Indonesia and is now looking to repeat the
same success in Malaysia. The French govern-
ment-owned defence firm is also developing
the next generation of the system which has
been designated as Caesar 6×6 Mark II.

Malaysia has already placed orders with
Nexter for 18 105 LG1 artillery systems for the
army. The order was placed at DSA 2018 and
deliveries which started in November 2019
with the first delivery of six light guns were
completed by February 2020. The order also
included long range ERG3 ammunition and
the Bacara Ballistic Computer. ADS under-
took local assembly of Malaysian 105 LG1
systems at its assembly facilities near Gemas, awarded in February 2011, in cooperation with DRB-HICoM
Negeri Sembilan. ADS is confident that this ini- DEFTECH of Malaysia, FNSS is designing, developing and pro-
tiative will create self-reliance and improve the ducing a total of 257 armoured personnel carriers to be based on
artillery capabilities among the armed forces. PARS-II 8×8. While the original PARS 8×8 was 24-25 ton vehicle,
The 105mm gun is designed for intervention the AV-8 IFV-25 configuration weighs 28 tons and its equipment
and rapid reaction forces and can be towed differs considerably from that of PARS. It is being made available
by a light vehicle, transported by helicopter in different configurations including; the infantry fighting vehicle
(PUMA or Bell 212), or parachuted by a tactical (IFV), armoured fighting vehicle (AFV), the armoured personnel
transport aircraft (C130 Hercules). It has a max- carrier (APC), tank destroyer (AFV-ATGW), command vehicles
imum range of 17 km and its low weight (1650 (ACV), signals (AVS), reconnaissance vehicle as well as recovery
kg), allows it to be deployed in any theater of vehicle. FNSS also showcased its PARS 4×4 Anti-Tank Vehicle with
operation (jungle, forest, mountains etc.). The ARC-T Remote Controlled Anti-Tank Turret and PARS III 6×6 with
105LG1 equips armies in Singapore, Thailand, 12.7 mm SANCAK Remote Controlled Turret at DSA 2022.
Indonesia, Belgium, Canada and Colombia.

Malaysian defence company, Deftech, dis- Maritime Defence
played a range of unmanned aerial vehicles The Malaysian armed forces are now in the midst of a major mod-
(UAVs) and armoured vehicles at DSA 2022. ernisation effort, with the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) having
The company stated that it is now developing procurement programmes underway for three Italian-made AW139
two different UAV platforms in parallel: The con- utility helicopters along with the second batch of three Littoral
ventional take-off and landing “Deftech Tactical Mission Ships (LMS) to complement the existing four LMS as
UAV”, and SR-10 Vertical Take-Off and Landing well as 13 Fast Interceptor Crafts (FIC). Furthermore, three of the
(VTOL) hybrid UAV. Aside from unmanned plat- RMAF’s CN235-220M aircraft are currently being upgraded to fulfill
forms, Deftech also showcased its AV6 and the role of Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) that will be capa-
AV8 Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) in col- ble of conducting Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance
laboration with FNSS from Turkey. While no less (ISR) duties.

ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY April 2022 | 27