KUALA LUMPUR: The story below from Defensenews is self explanatory. I would like to say I told you so but I do not feel I had won anything. Malaysian Defence and its readers had since 2006 questioned the decision to adopt the M4/M16A4 as the standard Malaysian Army assault rifle and the story from DefenseNews vindicated our concerns. The US Army is to ditch the M4 soon and perhaps within two years, they will be equipped with new carbines and even rifles. It is most likely the rest of the US forces, Marines and others will follow the Big Green transition to the new weapon and ditch the Black Rifle. The Malaysian Army in the meantime, will be using the M4 and M16A4 for at least another 20 years or so. We already accepted some 14,000 rifles and if not for the economic downturn, we could have ordered another 30,000 or more of the Black Rifles.
By next year, the US will field its last batch of M4s and M16A4s , so we will have the dubious honour of fielding new Black Rifles in the foreseeable future. Of course, thousands of M4s will be available within the next two decades, but it will be funny isnt it if we were to start looking for a new rifle to replace the Black Rifle within the next few years so. At the same time, it will also be funny for the Malaysian Army to continue purchasing new M4s and M16A4s as the primary user had declared it redundant.
Also from the story below, it appears that SMEO had paid Colt LLC for nothing by acquiring the exclusive manufacturing rights in the country as the design rights of the M4 had been taken over by the US Army. Does this mean that SMEO now has to sign a new contract with the US Army and perhaps has to fork out extra payment to manufacture the M4 in-country now? I am not sure about that but when I found out I will report it here.
US Army Will Open Competition for Carbine – As Soon As Congress Passes Budget
Soldiers could have a new carbine by 2012, unless a Congressional budget impasse slows it down. The Army requested $9.9 million for fiscal 2010, money needed to start the solicitation process for a competition that stands to draw dozens of small arms companies waiting for the chance to unseat the M4 as the Army’s primary soldier weapon.
In July, the service took control of the design rights to the M4 carbine from its sole maker, Colt Defense LLC. The transition of ownership of the M4 technical data package marked the end of an era and Colt’s exclusive status as the only manufacturer of the M4 for the U.S. military for the past 15 years. The transfer of the licensing agreement also frees up the Army to give other companies a crack at a carbine contract. Last November, Army senior leadership announced the service’s intent to open a competition for a new carbine this fall. Then Army Secretary Pete Geren directed the Army’s Infantry Center at Fort Benning, Ga., to update the carbine requirement in preparation for a search for a replacement for the M4. At the same time, the Army is slated to finish fielding the last of its 473,000 M4 requirement some time next year.
Small-arms companies waiting for the chance to compete for the Army’s next carbine view Colt’s loss of the M4 TDP as a new beginning for the industry and for soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
–Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (40)
It's too late to regret anything now....... I guess the only thing we can do now is to look for options to upgrade the M4 like replacing it's direct gas system with short-stroke pistons and adding some X-lubricants from NASA or something..........sheesh I dunno. I have voiced this out for more than 2 years now and I'll say it again: We bought the M4 at a time when the U.S army was looking at other options to phase it out. Some people messed up somewhere and they're not gonna admit it.
I mentiioned this a few years back on how the M4 was a dud and the U.S. didn't want it anymore. Congrats MINDEF you made us a laughing stock again.
No. The USG now has the rights to the M4 TDP but so does SMEO for the territory of Malaysia. Which is the same useless deal they had with Steyr which turned out to be useless because of the very limited quantities we can consume to amortize the high set up costs that SEMO will pass 132% onto the user.
What is the point in ordering 30K more rifles that offer no practical advantage over the M16A1s we still have in stock?
There is not enough money to equip all 14K with optics at this time let alone other cool-guy gear. This has to do with the optics central contract that MINDEF is bound by. Marhalim, go korek this travesty of cronyism and you'll probably end up slapped by ISA.
Or be feted as a hero and saviour in kementah.
It is a legacy of the Former Regime Elements.
Buying the M4 is the silliest decision ever made by the government. It is all about making money; not actually fulfilling the needs of the Army. I do not think the police would want to use the M4.
SMEO having had the experience to manufacture the Steyr assault rifle for more than 20 years should have acquired the know-how to develop an indigenous Malaysian assault rifle. Why have they failed is mind boggling. I am told that the management found it necessary not to indulge in R&D because it cost to much of money. It would be better that they act as mere traders, selling weapons to the government at inflated prices.
I also blame the government for this. They do not have a strict policy on weapon development to ensure that SMEO comes out with its own weapon design within a specific time frame. SMEO must be forced to undertake R&D; otherwise we will continue to be importing weapons, without any hope of developing our own.
SMEO's failure is a national disaster and the victim is the nation as well. Buying has to cease and R&D geared up, if we want to be self reliant in weapons. As at now, we even cannot produce a simple pistol, let alone a rifle.
Best of luck to Malaysia!
SMEO do have the R&D alright, 'receive and distribute'. M4 is merely to keep the production line running, after the steyr contract ends. Else they have to lay-off quite a number of workers not forgetting the sub-contractors.
Marhalim: And now they got to locally manufacture M4. Zahid confirmed it today although he did not want to say how many and how much. The guns will be by 2012 the same time the US picked a new carbine
We the taxpayer will pay for the 'new' M4 production line because the old Steyr line was disassembled and is no longer operational.
'New' because the rotary hammer forge that we paid 'new' money for was in fact the old GFM unit that Steyr had. ReCon ler.....
I gayrontee that the M4 'buatan tempatan' will cost 100% more than the 'CBU' model to pay for the SMEO line (where everybody make big money ler).
Tapi siapa nak tahu....OSA mah. M4 itu super secret tahu. Bukan macam all our neighbours sudah ada......
marhalim: I just found that its not really a local manufacture but local assembly da,,,,,,
Worse...that rotary hammer forge which would ideal for making barrels..sudah kondem. In fact semua AUG stuff pun dah luput.
The person behind it baru retire ler.
What do you guys make of this news item from
the Jakarta Globe?
http://thejakartaglobe.com/home/indonesian-vigilantes-prepare-for-battle-in-malaysia/331775
Is it really a matter of "when" and not "if" the Indonesians invade Malaysia?
MArhalim: With what?
jangan terlampau kritik kerajaan..m4 ni dah kire bagus kalau nak banding ngan styer..test la masuk hutan dulu..nak bwk m4 ke styer..geng para ngan komando mesti kate m4.....
Marhalim: Betul memang askar kita pilih M4 kerana M4 lebih ringan dari Steyr. Kita tak kata M4 tak bagus hanya ianya teknologi yang lama. Perlu ingat kita perlu menggunakannya bukan untuk setahun dua saje tapi sekurangnya 20 tahun lagi. Sekarang sudah ada senjata yang lebih maju dari M4 jadi kenapa kita perlu pakai benda yang lama sedang ada yang baru yang setanding dan lebih mungkin. Perlu juga diingatkan pembelian M4 tanpa tender secara terbuka dan tanpa ujian medan yang teliiti. Kita perlu belajar dari sejarah. Hampir dua puluh tahun lepas Kerajaan memilih untuk membeli steyr kerana ada perjanjian untuk pembuatan dalam negeri walaupun pada masa ujian, kebanyakan askar yang terbabit telah memilih raifal M16A2 dan juga Colt Commando. Kedua2 senjata ini adalah versi terdahulu M4.