Malaysian Defence reported that the Malaysian Army (Tentera Darat Malaysia, TDM) has taken delivery of more new equipment at the Malaysian Army’s 92 Central Vehicle Depot at Kentomen Batu Camp on 26 October 2022, with Command of the Army General Tan Sri Dato Seri Zamrose bin Mohd Zain accepting the new assets, together with other high-ranking officials of the TDM. The acquisitions are part of a repeat order to further improve the overall mobility and firepower capabilities of the Malaysian Army. Unfortunately, the Malaysian Army only published a limited number of pictures of the trucks and weapons delivered at the ceremony.
Among those received were 3 units Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks – Muti Cargo Palletized (HEMTT-PCPLS, Scania prime movers), 10 units 5-ton General Service (GS) Cargo Trucks, 32 units of 3-ton GS Cargo Trucks, and 40 units of 1-ton Hilux One-tonne GS Cargo, 36 units of Cannon Pulling Trucks and 40 units of Toyota Hi-Lux 4×4 pick-up trucks modified by Malaysian defense company DefTech Fitted for Radio Trucks. Also received were 72 units of 81mm mortars, 27 units of 40mm Multiple Grenade Launchers, and 150 units of Light Anti-Tank Weapon-Short, as well as 98 Assault boats.
The 81mm mortars are from Spain’s EXPAL Systems, and are delivered together with the Talos fire control system and the Cendana Auto MT-815 4×4 Ground Tactical Mortar Transporter vehicle. EXPAL is a leader of the ammunition and explosives sector in Spain, as well as one of the main providers of demilitarization and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) services worlwide. The RPG and MGL are likely procured from Serbian company PTT Namenska. PPT Namenska is a Serbian manufacturer of arms, mortars, grenade launchers, unmanned ground vehicle, hydraulics and pneumatics, airplane parts and some complex weapons system.
It appears that the Malaysian Army is getting 36 gun towers mostly likely manufactured by Iveco in Italy. There is no further information on what type of trucks whether its Iveco or another make that had been bought to meet the gun towing requirements. The tender for the 36 gun towers was issued in October 2019. As the tender was for vehicles to tow 105mm gun. The Iveco trucks will be used to tow the new Nexter 105mm LG1 howitzers assigned to the 1 Battalion of RAD with the 10th Para Brigade. The Multi Utility Vehicle (MUV) from Iveco Defence or a modified variant of the Iveco 4X4 Daily, the commercial version of the MUV.
