Malaysia Launches Key Spare Parts Tender for Gempita Armoured Vehicles, Boosting Defence MRO

Malaysia Bolsters Armoured Fleet Readiness with Critical Gempita Maintenance Tender

Mohd Hanif Ismail - : Oct 14, 2025 - : 7:06 pm

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The Malaysian Army has moved to address the pressing operational readiness of its primary armoured vehicle fleet by issuing vital tenders for spare parts, signalling a renewed focus on Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) capabilities. This essential procurement aims to ensure the sustained operational tempo of the nation's key military assets, providing a significant, albeit modest, opportunity for local and international suppliers specialising in high-specification military vehicle components. The continuous servicing and upgrade of existing platforms, rather than simply acquiring new ones, has become a defining trend in regional defence spending.

The vehicle at the centre of this effort is the DefTech AV8 Gempita (Thunder). The Gempita is an 8x8 multi-role armoured vehicle, a locally manufactured variant of the Turkish FNSS Pars, developed under a technology transfer agreement. Since its introduction, the fleet of 257 vehicles has formed the backbone of the Malaysian Army’s mechanised infantry and armoured corps, playing a crucial role in regional security and modernisation efforts. The platform itself boasts a modular design, enabling 12 different variants, from infantry fighting vehicles to recovery vehicles, which underscores the complexity and necessity of a robust spare parts supply chain for the fleet.

The tender, issued by the Kumpulan Ordnans (Ordnance Group) of the Malaysian Army, is a request for quotation to supply and deliver spare parts for the Gempita vehicles stationed at various workshops, including the 31 WKSP and 32 WKSP Armoured Workshops. The notice specifically covers parts for 19 individual vehicles, including registration numbers such as ZC 3232, ZC 3240, and ZC 3278, indicating a targeted maintenance effort. The indicative price for the stated requirements is around RM 195,000.00 (approximately USD 46,000) per vehicle, which confirms the contract's focus on specialist component renewal, such as ruggedised sensor bolts. The public information for this tender was officially published in a tender notice.

This targeted spare parts procurement reflects a wider, more strategic pivot by the Malaysian Ministry of Defence towards strengthening fleet sustainability, especially following recent Auditor-General reports that highlighted systemic weaknesses and delays in maintenance, repair, and spare parts supply for the Gempita and other armoured vehicles. For international trade suppliers, this tender, opening on 14 October 2025 and closing just a week later on 21 October 2025, represents a clear opportunity to engage with Malaysia's defence ecosystem. It also signals that the focus of regional military spending will increasingly include MRO services and technology transfer to reduce reliance on original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), ensuring greater self-reliance for their critical land assets.