KUALA LUMPUR: Since I am too tired to write the next few days just read the link below. Yes, I was also taken by surprise by the contracts especially the Cougar and the 8X8. Its was on the ……No pictures also today as I had loaned out my camera to a colleague.
Further reading. The Malay Mail
–Malaysian Defence
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And next is UAV?
Marhalim: No UAV Syameer, that was the reason CTRM was conspicuously absent.
Is it a typo, or is the M2RM different from the 2R2M mortar from DSA 2008?
Marhalim: Its a typo, David....
It seems that every single arm services wants their own kind of rifle. I guess we are not big on logistic efficiency then..
Marhalim: Actually, the other type of rifles are only meant for the special forces...the rest of the armed forces will eventually get their M4 when money is available....
hmm, RM8bil for 257 8x8 APCs sounds far fetched. the money should have been enough for at least 600 of those APCs. we should have taken some money from those funds to buy more Cougars or medium range SAM....
I agree with your column in malay mail that 287 units of the new 8x8 are too few for a price tag of RM8 billion. Why does it cost so much for mere 287 ?? The opposition will have a field day.
As for the design of the new 8x8 which is derived from the Turk\'s PARS, i dont really like the low undercarriage. What do you think?
But then again it is only LOI. Nothing is cast in stone just yet.....
There was a newspaper report that 105mm guns were ordered. Is this true Marhalim?
I thought the contract for the 8 120mm mortars was awarded last DSA?
Marhalim: No 105mm guns were ordered. No they just give the LOI and LOA, this time around its the real contract.
The Malaysian Defense ministry nominated the Malaysian company DRB-Hicom Defence Technologies (Deftech) a prime contractor to locally produce and supply 257 armored personnel carriers based on the Turkish 8x8 Pars wheeled armored vehicle. The Pars, developed and produced developed by the Turkish company FNSS is based on a design made by the U.S. company GPV. The value of the Malaysian 'letter of intent' is worth over worth about US$2.5 billion. Deliveries will span over seven years. The prototype APC is expected to be delivered for testing to the Malaysian Army by 2011. Deftech is to build 12 variants from the base vehicle, including personnel carrier, anti-tank weapon carrier, command and control and anti-aircraft weapon vehicles.
Everything is okay with the govt decision regarding the Cougar and the Turkey's PARS but only one thing left, the 2nd Batch of the NGPV program.
Apparently the price of a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter is USD14 million.... hmmmm ... RM 8 billion, let's approximate to USD 2 billion... doing the math... that would get us roughly 142 Blackhawks... What would you dear readers of this blog rather have... 142 frickin' Blackhawk helicopters or 257 armoured wheelies?
Thank you, Marhalim.
What happen to the 48 ACV-300 they had talked about in DSA 2008? Was that a full contract or also LoI? What happened to the deal?
Marhalim: The 2008 Adnan contract was a contract so I am guessing they are delivering them as we talked, they were a two brand new Adnans at the show, I am guessing that those were from the 2008 contract. There was a single Adnan Mortar carrier, of which eight were purchased in 2008. Its the one that was shown with 2R2M mortar...