Malaysian AV8 Continues to Progress


AV-8 8x8 armoured vehicle (photo : N.S. Shah)

Thales has revealed that it has completed the factory acceptance test for the open vehicle electronic architecture system that it is providing for the Malaysian AV8 armoured vehicle.

Thales was selected to provide the suite last year, and now that the test was passed 'last week', the company is 'ready to take it into the vehicle', Jean-Francois Lopez, AV8 project director at Thales told Shephard at the DSA 2012 exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 16 April.

'We are working closely with the army,' Lopez explained. 'We are offering one database with all services available, and users can exchange information with other vehicles using a single digital share.'


DNGS TI(photo : Thales)

Thales is also providing the optronics for the platform, including the Catherine XP, DNGS TI and Sophie TAS/C.

'Thales is really local in this programme,' Lopex explained. 'It is very important that we do a lot of things locally, and from the beginning of the programme it was a requirement to be local.'

The AV8X8 is being manufactured by Malaysian company Deftech, and 257 platforms were ordered by the Malaysian Army last year.

'90% of the vehicle is completed, and by July the vehicle will be fully running,' Haji Nor Azman Saparon, AV8 programme manager for Deftech told Shephard.

He said that by September the platform will be undergoing testing by the army, and between July and then it will begin factory testing.

Production is set to begin in 2013, and twelve variants of the vehicle are to be manufactured, and one prototype of each is due to be developed for the testing.

The vehicle is based on an FNSS design, and other companies involved include: Kent Periscopes; Denel; Vinghog Optronics Systems; and Hutchinson.

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Rheinmetall Nordic AS Wins Major Order in Malaysia


Vingtaqs II long-range surveillance, observation and reconnaissance system. (photo : Rheinmetall Defence)

Vingtaqs II observation system to be mounted on new all-terrain vehicles.
Rheinmetall Nordic AS of Nøtterøy, Norway, a member of the Rheinmetall Group of companies, has been awarded a contract to supply the Malaysian armed forces with the Vingtaqs II long-range surveillance, observation and reconnaissance system. Rheinmetall Nordic AS is the successor company of Simrad Optronics AS, which Rheinmetall took over in summer 2010.

With a total volume of around €36 million, this is the largest single order ever booked by Rheinmetall Nordic AS or its predecessor Simrad Optronics AS.

The customer is DRB-Hicom Defence Technologies Sdn Bhd (Deftech) of Malaysia. The order also encompasses training, system integration and documentation.

The Vingtaqs II systems will be integrated into newly built AV8 all-terrain vehicles made by the Turkish company FNSS Savunma Sistemleri A.S., which are to be delivered during the period 2014 to 2018.

“This contract demonstrates the terrific market potential of our new Vingtaqs systems. What’s more, because of our strong goal orientation and clear priorities, we were able to win this contract in less than two years”, declares Jon Asbjørn Bø, CEO of Rheinmetall Nordic AS, adding that “the order serves as a valuable reference for future sales”.

Vingtaqs II long range – surveillance, observation and reconnaissance systemThe Vingtaqs II accurately determines target coordinates at long distances from the vehicle forward observer position. A standalone system, the Vingtaqs II can be integrated at low cost into a wide variety of vehicles. The system also accommodates instrumentation for laser-designated targeting, enabling it to support forward air controller operations. Moreover, thanks to a high degree of modularity, it can be readily configured to meet individual customer requirements.

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Thales to Supply Electronic System Integration for 257 AV-8 of the Malaysian Army

Malaysia : Thales to supply electronic system integration for 257 armoured-wheeled vehicles
Thales has been awarded a major contract for the integration of an advanced open vehicle electronic architecture system for the 257 new 8x8 armoured-wheeled vehicles of the Malaysian Army. Thales acts as a subcontractor of DEFTECH (DRB-HICOM Defence Technologies Sdn Bhd), the local company selected by the Malaysian Ministry of Defence for the design, development and manufacturing of the vehicles.This contract confirms Thales’s position as a leading player in advanced vehicle system integration.

Today, combat vehicle platforms need to achieve greater efficiency on the battlefield and are becoming increasingly complex due to the need for integration of electronics equipment and network capabilities. Thanks to Thales’s high-level expertise in C4ISR* systems for land forces, the Group has been selected to provide an integrated and scalable vehicle electronic architecture system including a wide range of new-generation equipment (communications, vetronics, sensors, command & control, mortar, optronics, etc.) to meet the rigorous operational performance criteria of the Malaysian Army.

In order to lead this programme in close cooperation with the customer, Thales relies on its local presence through Thales Malaysia Sdn Bhd and strengthens its local footprint thanks to its Malaysian joint-venture, Sapura Thales Electronics (STE), who will supply the complete HF and VHF radio communications system for the 257 vehicles.

Thales will integrate a state-of-the-art Open Information Communication System (OICS) - branded as VSys-net – a vehicle system electronics solution designed to optimise integration and enable information exchange (voice, data and video) both within vehicles and externally. It combines a set of sub-systems and specific equipment that assist the commander during the mission (Battlefield Management System), manage the status of the vehicle components (Platform Management System), assist navigation, provide an optimised situational awareness and enhance survivability.

This solution will provide a consistent vehicle electronic architecture among the 12 variants (Infantry & Armoured Fighting Vehicles, Command, Anti-Tank, Recovery, Surveillance, etc.). This will reduce integration risks on the overall program, speed up the operation, manage all platform systems in real time and enable optimised support services.

The Malaysian Army also renews its trust in Thales’s field proven equipment such as the unique 120mm 2R2M Mortar for the mortar variant offering an unmatched range of 13km, as well as the SQUIRE ground surveillance radar as part of the surveillance variant.

“We are very proud of the renewed confidence in Thales’s solution expressed by the Malaysian Army. Thales strengthens its commitment to Malaysia and the local defence industry with know-how and technology transfer.” explains Jean-Philippe Durieux, Country Director, Thales Malaysia. “Thales’s excellence and expertise in complex systems integration make us a trusted partner, able to respond to the armed forces’ ever growing needs.

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Denel has signed a 340 million euro (RM1.327 billion) contract with Malaysia to supply a range of turret and integrated weapon systems to be fitted onto 8 X 8 armoured infantry fightingvehicles. The deal has been several years in the making.

Zwelakhe Ntshepe, the Group Executive Business Development and Corporate Affairs of Denel, says this is the largest export contract in the company’s history and will result in a significant cash injection and job creation in the local industry. The turrets will be exported to Malaysia over a seven year period – with the first consignment ready for delivery this coming January.

Ntshepe says the final negotiations with Malaysia were concluded at the recent Defence Services Asia Exhibition held in Kuala Lumpur, together with their local partners DRB-Hicom (Deftech).

Denel Land Systems (DLS) CE Stephan Burger says his company will be responsible for a number of strategic components that have been designed and developed at its campus in Lyttelton:
·        69 x two man turrets fitted with the South African GI30 30mm main gun.
·        54 x missile turrets equipped with the GI30 30mm gun and Denel Dynamics Ingwe anti-tank missile system. The order also includes the supply of 216 laser-guided Ingwe missiles.
·        54 x remote control weapons systems.

Burger says the production of the first consignment of turrets is on schedule and will be delivered in January 2013 for trials by the Malaysian Army. The turrets and weapon systems will be integrated on the Malaysian Army’s new 8 X 8 vehicles which are based on the Pars armoured vehicle platforms from the Turkish company, FNSS.

Through the contract Denel is participating in the Malaysian Economic Enhancement programme which entails the production and assembly of the turrets in Malaysia.  The agreement provides a platform to transfer weapon system integration technology to Deftech in order to create a sustainable capability in Malaysia. Burger adds the contract opens the door to future industry cooperation between the two countries including on-going maintenance and future upgrades of the turrets.

Ntshepe reminds the manufacturing of the turret systems grew out of DLS’s development of the Badger infantry combat vehicle on behalf of the South African Army. The Badger, he says, meets the requirements of a modern army involved in both high-intensity warfare and peacekeeping operations and will replace the 30-year old Ratel as the mainstay of the mechanised infantry force.

Denel in a statement adds the Malaysian contract strengthens DLS’s reputation as a strategic hub of innovation and advanced manufacturing capabilities on the African continent. It will enable the company to retain skilled and highly-skilled engineers and artisans and attract a new generations of innovators.

Riaz Saloojee, the Denel Group Chief Executive says “I am excited by this contract as it confirms Denel’s position as a global player in the defence manufacturing industry and will lead to a growing interest from the international community in the quality and range of products and services produced by us.”

Deftech earmarked Denel as its technology partner in April 2010. The New Strait Times in Singapore at the time reported Deftech would build 257 of the 8x8 vehicles for eight billion Malaysian ringit or 3.436 billion Singapore dollars (about ZAR18.5 billion). Malaysian Minister of Defence Abdullah Bin Ahmad Badawi on April 20, 2010, handed over a Letter of Intent (LoI) to Deftech for the supply of vehicles at a ceremony at the 12th Defence Services Asia (DSA) Expo in Kuala Lumpur. Denel, in a media statement, at the time, said the letter served to confirm Malaysia’s intention to buy the vehicle over seven year period. Other technology partners selected for the programme include FNSS from Turkey for the PARS vehicle and Sapura Thales Electronics (STE) for the communication equipment on the vehicles.

Denel added Deftech “in turn handed over a LoI to Denel as a technology partner for the joint manufacture of turrets and for the systems integration of the programme.
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If things goes well we maybe see the prototype during Merdeka Day

all military project in malaysia are for money laundry, at the end the money go into cronies pocket. only the cronies support this kind of project !!!

i would not disagree that the goverment is corrupted and takes portion of the pay,
saying this kind of project is only for money laundry u are ignorant...

can it survive IED attacks?