KUALA LUMPUR: The Anoa APS-3 armoured personnel carrier (APC) manufactured by Indonesia's state- owned PT Pindad has reportedly emerged as the front-runner to meet the requirements of the Malaysian Battalion (Malbatt) in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Malbatt has an "urgent operational requirement" for the procurement of up to 30 units of 6X6 APCs to replace its almost obsolete Condor armoured vehicles which had been in service since the early 1980s.
However, an official announcement on the procurement is not expected soon, according to defence industry sources. They expect an official announcement, at the earliest, during the upcoming Defence Services Asia exhibition, on April 19. As the procurement is for a United Nations (UN) mission, the world body will reimburse the purchase and shipping cost of the APCs.
The Indonesian-developed vehicle was shortlisted with two other 6X6, namely, the VAB from France and South Korea's Black Fox, to meet the urgent requirement as the German-made Condors reportedly had been worn out as they had been used daily since deployment.
Some 750 Malaysian soldiers are deployed to Lebanon as part of Malbatt, using the Condors and unarmoured Land Rovers for patrols since 2006.
Although the Condors have been the mainstay of Malaysian peacekeeping missions from Bosnia to Somalia, the Army wanted the vehicles to be replaced since the early 1990s, as operational experience showed that the 4X4 vehicles were prone to tipping over, especially in off-road conditions where it spends most of its time while on missions.
However, budgetary constraints meant that the vehicles continue to soldier on despite its deficiencies and age. Malaysia became a part of the Unifil peace-keeping mission after the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1701 intended to resolve the Israel-Lebanon conflict after Israeli forces attacked Hezbollah militants in 2006.
Defence industry sources told The Malay Mail that the VAB was the early favourite to clinch the tender, but due to technical and logistical reasons, the Anoa reportedly surged into contention following trials at the respective countries late last year.
The VAB was initially considered as many of the countries involved in UNIFIL are equipped with the VAB in both versions, the 4X4 and 6X6.
Even the Indonesian contingent at Lebanon are using VABs purchased from France.
As the VABs being offered to Malaysia are ex-France armed forces stock, these could be quickly made available to Malaysia.
Shipping costs would also be minimised as the vehicles are located near Lebanon.
One industry source said Malbatt should not have any problems maintaining the Anoas as the vehicles are also fitted with Renault engines and transmission. However, he added, PT Pindad may have to fit a new engine and transmission for the Malaysian-bound vehicles as it does not have the rights to export them under its contract with Renault, which also markets the VAB on behalf of the French government.
The source said the Anoa procurement also could be seen as the forerunner for the formation for the Asean Security and Defence Industry Council (ASDIC), proposed by Malaysia to tap the huge security and defence market in the region and reduce dependency on other parts of the world.
The procurement would also pave the way for Indonesia to purchase Malaysia-made defence items as part of a counter-trade arrangement.
On the downside, the source said it was not known whether PT Pindad would be be able to fulfill the Malaysian order as fast as the French as PT Pindad would have to built the vehicles from scratch unlike the VABs which are refurbished stock.
The Anoa is usually armed with a 12.7mm heavy machine gun or a 40mm automatic grenade launcher.
The vehicle has a crew of three and can carry up to 10 soldiers. PT Pindad is manufacturing 150 Anoas for their own country's armed forces.
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