SHAH ALAM: Trucks, FFR, LMG and Sniper Rifles for the Army. Back in early 2021, Malaysian Defence wrote on Cendana Auto getting the contract for the supply of 148 4X4 vehicles in four configurations for the Army. The four configurations are Fitted For Radio (FFR); Special Operations; Weapons Carrier and Mortar carriers.
Shortly after the story went public, I decided to unlist it for reasons. However, the post went public again late last year after pictures of the vehicles undergoing testing were published on social media.
And on March 7 the Army finally confirmed it is getting the Cendana Auto 4X4 vehicles – the FFR ones – when it took delivery of them in a ceremony at the 92 Depot in Kuala Lumpur. Among the FFR vehicles are meant for the Unifil mission as well as one for the Army signals units.
Army chief Gen Zamrose Mohd Zin was on hand to receive the FFR vehicles together with trucks, one tonners and firearms. The Army’s posting on Facebook did not revealed the number of vehicles delivered though it did revealed it was getting 40 Barret M1107A1 anti materiel rifles and 240 FN Minimi LMGs.
PEROLEHAN ASET BAHARU PERKUATKAN KETUMBUKAN TDM
KUALA LUMPUR, 7 Mac 2022 – Tentera Darat Malaysia (TDM) telah menerima beberapa perolehan baharu bagi Kenderaan Jenis B (KJB) dan persenjataan menerusi Majlis Penyerahan Aset Tentera Darat di Perkarangan Garaj A 92 Depot Kenderaan Pusat (DKP) pada hari ini.
Majlis tersebut telah disempurnakan oleh Panglima Tentera Darat, Jeneral Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Zamrose bin Mohd Zain.
Perolehan aset baharu bagi Kenderaan Jenis B (KJB) melibatkan Trak 1 Tan GS Cargo, Trak 1 Tan Fitted For Radio (FFR), Trak 3 Tan dan 1 Tan FFR untuk MALBATT 850 serta bas 44 penumpang.
Manakala 280 laras senjata telah berjaya diterima pada penghujung Februari melibatkan 40 unit Sniper Rifle 12.7 mm dan 240 unit Light Machine Gun (LMG) 5.56 mm.
Untuk rekod, kesemua kenderaan dan persenjataan ini telah menjalani Final Acceptance Test (FAT) yang telah dilaksanakan oleh TD pada hujung tahun 2021 dan awal tahun 2022.
Perolehan aset sebegini juga sejajar dengan Tonggak Pertama Perintah Ulung Panglima Tentera Darat Ke-28, iaitu; “Kelangsungan Misi dan Kesiagaan” dengan memberi penumpuan kepada peningkatan tahap kesiagaan, kompentensi dan aset TDM.
Malaysian Defence has written extensively on the procurement of these vehicles and weapons. Please go here and here for the LMG post. Apart from Cendana Auto, the other vehicles delivered were an undisclosed number of one-tonne GS trucks and three 44 seater buses procured from Deftech.
— Malaysian Defence
View Comments (35)
It is actually 4x 44seater buses delivered for a total of 10 units plus the earlier delivered 6 buses.
BTW speaking of UN, was the UN-sponsored MRAP buy announced yet?
Look like the hilux for me..for that 1 tonne gs cargo..I myself assemble the dmax in pekan haha..Yeah wondered about that Unifil condor replacement too..Heard Ejder Yalcin is close to winning that contract
At this point, MINDEF is giving more attention and commitment to UN missions than the South China Sea...
Are these based on the Rover, ie Land Rover?
Nope, Hilux
Those cendana auto FFR is unarmored, just like the GK-M1 FFR previously.
It's an exercise of pure waste when a fortuner or everest could do the same job.
Those 1tonne GS cargo trucks in the picture are clearly Toyota Hilux Revo, not Isuzu. Usually Toyota based GS cargo are built by GO Auto.
The trucks for UNIFIL are 3 tonne trucks, like the write up by the army. Those are probably MAN TGM 18.320. You can see the tires are small, compared to 5 tonne versions.
yes, its 3 tonne trucks actually. My eyes not so good anymore
Looks clean and nice! Knew and am pretty sure that it was designed, manufactured, and assembled in Malaysia. The spill economy is surely great! Proud!
Firdaus - MINDEF is giving more attention and commitment to UN missions than the South China Sea…
Nonsense. Two separate issues. A handful of vehicles for MALBATT doesn't mean 'MINDEF is giving more attention and commitment to UN missions''...
Ajim - Knew and am pretty sure that it was designed, manufactured, and assembled in Malaysia
We've been designing, manufacturing and assembling things for decades but unfortunately haven't made the transition to something more tangible or value added. Ultimately the vehicles are foreign designed, as are their engines and other components.
Ajin - Proud!
Well, I'm a sceptic and a jaded observer. For me we are still a long way before the local industry can do something which makes me truly ''proud''. Local assembling foreign stuff and performing minor modifications isn't a big deal.
Yeah but something is better than nothing right? Its a start..Mildef with Tarantula and possibly their very own 6x6 Apc..Cendana Auto with FFR,SOV, Weapon and Mortar carrier..
Firdaus, "Yeah but something is better than nothing right?"
Nothing is better than waste of money. The Tarantula armor is the same level as the Condor, while costing so much more.
Korea able to build armored KLTV at the price of Proton X70.