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Paras To UAE For Joint Exercise

Paratroopers bound for Desert Tiger 6/23. 10th Para Brigade

SHAH ALAM: The Army is sending a company strong of paratroopers to the United Arab Emirates for a three-week long bilateral exercise – Desert Tiger 6/23 – in the Middle East country. The bulk of the paratroopers are from Ninth Royal Malay Regiment (Para) which is part of the 10th Para Brigade. Other soldiers from the Malaysian Armed Forces are also likely to be part of the Malaysian contingent based on the heading published in a social media post by the brigade.

10th Para Brigadier Khairul Azmizal Ahmad Natal presenting the Malaysian Army flag to 9th RMR CO at the presentation ceremony on February 6.

EKSESAIS DESERT TIGER SIRI 6/23 – UJI TAHAP KOMPETENSI KOMPENI TEMPUR PAC-ATM DI EMERIAH ARAB BERSATU (UAE)
MELAKA: Panglima Briged Ke-10 (Para), Brig Jen Khairul Azmizal Ahmad Natal telah menyempurnakan acara penyerahan Bendera Tentera Darat Malaysia kepada Pegawai Memerintah 9 RAMD (Para) serta menyampaikan mandat kepada Kompeni yang terlibat Eks DESERT TIGER Siri 6/23 di Emeriah Arab Bersatu bertempat di 9 RAMD (Para), Kem Terendak, Melaka pada 6 Feb 23.
Sebagai persediaan, kompeni ini telah melaksanakan Pre-Deployment Training (PDT) dalam Eks URBAN TIGER Siri 1/23 di kawasan am Kem Terendak, Melaka melibatkan aturgerak penyusupan taktikal secara Air Assault, seterusnya Ground Tactical Manoeuvre sebelum melaksanakan fasa ofensif dan defensif dalam konteks Operation in Build-Up Area (OBUA) sejak sebulan lalu.
Dalam ucapannya, Panglima 10 Bgd (Para), turut mengingatkan supaya mempamerkan tahap profesionalisme dan disiplin yang tinggi demi menjaga nama baik Tentera Darat amnya dan 10 Briged (Para) khususnya sepanjang Eks dilaksanakan bermula 8 Feb hingga 1 Mac 23 di UAE.
Eksesais Bilateral yang bakal diadakan ini adalah bagi memberi pendedahan operasi di padang pasir bagi menambahkan pengetahuan dan kompetensi anggota di samping mengeratkan hubungan ketenteraan antara kedua negara.

10th Para Brigadier Khairul Azmizal Ahmad Natal checking out the gear on one of the paratroopers bound for UAE for Desert Tiger exercise. Like the rest, the paratrooper is equipped with desert camo. 10th Para Brigade

The Armed Forces has been sending troops to the Middle East since mid-2000s as Malaysia seeks better ties with the Arab countries. This includes the deployment of a RMAF Hercules aircraft to Saudi Arabia as part of the coalition against the Houthis in Yemen.
A group photo of the paratroopers going to UAE together with the leadership of the 10th Para Brigade.

The Hercules were originally sent to Saudi for the evacuation of Malaysians from Yemen which had descended into a civil war. However, at least one Hercules remained there some four years later.
10th Para Brigadier Khairul Azmizal Ahmad Natal looking uncomfortable looking at the weapons stored in the storage boxes for the flight to UAE.

However, the deployment and training exercises were stopped in 2018 following a decision by the then PH government. The then Defence Minister Mohammad Sabu said the deployment and exercises of MAF to the Middle Eastern countries especially to Saudi was incompatible with the country’s stand of neutrality. He even said that the deployments were undertaken without prior approval by the Cabinet.

— Malaysian Defence

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Marhalim Abas: Shah Alam

View Comments (39)

  • @Marhalim

    On the iphone, if you click the postings it goes to an advertisement. Happened before the last time and you fixed it.

  • The decision to send a whole company is surprising as we normally send platoons to such exercises. We are in the midst of repairing ties with the UAE which we historically close but went somewhat downhill after the 2018 GE. At this time of the year it will be the cold and not the heat which will be an issue in the desert.

    We sent more than a couple of Charlie's and medical/security teams to Saudi in connection with Yemen but I'll leave it at that.

    • It might be less than a company strong but since they stated its a company, I leave it at that.

  • ''I never knew we had a need for desert camo.''

    We had a desert variant of the tiger stripe pattern for troops in Afghanistan and a desert variant of the digital for troops who participated in the Saudi exercise years ago. Other countries which normally don't operate in the desert but have desert camo for troops deployed in desert conditions would include South Korea; Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Romania, Czech Republic; Slovakia, Belgium, etc. I have several desert patterns from various countries.

  • From the pictures, the deployment is a company-sized force consisting of 3 platoons of 4 sections each. That is just around 100 personnel.

    The way the weapons are dumped into the boxes (some with optics) really shows that the quartermasters are not trained properly to pack equipments for long range deployments.

    I hope that all the weaknesses from this exercise would be written down to be studied.

  • We sent more than a couple of Charlie’s and medical/security teams to Saudi in connection with Yemen but I’ll leave it at that.

    The above statement is interesting as real life Battle Field Surgery and Medivac exposure and training in an invaluable experience. Alot can be gained from this. Question is how well equipped are our armed forces in this role? Do they gave sufficient medical field equipment to do field surgeries? How quick can our heli’s or aircraft be converted to the medivac roles?

  • "desert variant of the tiger stripe pattern for troops in Afghanistan"
    We had troops in Afghanistan? I mean other than the HADR we did during earthquake disaster back then? Colour me surprised.

    • Yes but we withdraw the unit as the Taliban has no time for us unlike the richer Middle East countries like UAE and Qatar

  • Charlie Tango - ''Question is how well equipped are our armed forces in this role?''

    As well equipped and trained as we possibly can given the resources we have. Yes we have field hospitals.

    At the end of the day the MAF is not equipped, trained or structured for protracted high intensity operations. It also does not have the manpower to replace in a short period any high casualties incurred.