DefTech AV8 Gempita | |
---|---|
Type | Armoured fighting vehicle |
Place of origin | Malaysia Turkey |
Service history | |
In service | 2014-present |
Used by | Malaysian Army |
Production history | |
Designer | DefTech FNSS Defence Systems |
Manufacturer | DefTech |
No. built | 257 [1] |
Variants | See variants |
Specifications | |
Mass | ± 28,000 - 30,000 kg [2] |
Length | 8 m |
Width | 2.7 m (not incl. side armour) |
Height | 2.17 m (hull top) |
Crew | 3 + 11 soldiers |
Armor | Composite aluminium and steel armour, add-on armour at front and sides of the hull up to STANAG 4569 Level 4 |
Main armament | 30mm Denel LCT30 turret or 25mm Sharpshooter turret |
Secondary armament | FN Herstal MAG 58M coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun and 4 ZT3 Ingwe anti tank missile for LCT30 turret |
Engine | Deutz TCD 2015 V6 diesel 550 hp |
Power/weight | 18.3-19.6 HP/ton |
Suspension | Independent air suspension system [3] |
Operational range | 700 km (430 mi) |
Maximum speed | 100 km/h on road 6 km/h in water [4] |
The DefTech AV8Gempita (Thunder) is an amphibious multirole armoured vehicle developed by Malaysian defence company DefTech with the assistance of Turkey defence company FNSS. The Gempita resembles some of the Turkey FNSS Pars design and technology. The vehicle has a modular design which allows the fitting of different turrets, weapons, sensors, and communications systems on the same vehicle.
The vehicle has 12 variants, including the armoured personnel carrier, infantry fighting vehicle, tank destroyer, signals intelligence vehicle and recovery vehicles.
In June 2011, the Turkish Company FNSS signed a ‘letter of offer and acceptance’ by DRB-Hicom Defence Technologies (DefTech) for the assistance of design and development of the vehicles. The AV8 vehicle selected by the Malaysian military was based on the technology of FNSS-designed Pars 8×8 multi-purpose, multi-mission, wheeled armoured vehicle. The contract included technology transfer arrangements to Deftech and logistics support for the Malaysian army, positioning the vehicle and its 12 variants to become Malaysia's first indigenous family of 8×8 armoured wheeled vehicle.
In April 2012, DefTech and FNSS presented the first scale model of the AV8 at the international defence exhibition, Defence Services Asia 2012 in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia's DefTech will be the principal manufacturer agent, and its engineers will work with Nurol holding subsidiary FNSS to customise the vehicles for Malaysian requirements and equipment. South Africa's Denel will reportedly build a 2-man turret for the APC, while local company joint venture, Sapura-Thales was expected to become the systems integrator. The first prototype of the AV8 was presented in March 2013 to the public during the 80th Army Day anniversary celebration in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.
In April 2014, DefTech announced that the first 12 vehicles would start production in June 2014 and be delivered to the Malaysian Army by end of 2014. DefTech CEO Amril Samsudin also said that DefTech has received contracts from regional countries, like the test of some vehicle by Saudi armed forces.
In December 2014, the AV8 was officially inducted into service with the Malaysian Army in a ceremony at the DefTech plant in Pekan. [5] This delivery of the first 12 units represents a significant milestone in the AV8 programme [6]
The AV8s were all to be delivered to the Malaysian Army by 2020. [7]
DefTech is taking the first steps of exporting the AV8 Gempita. The company has sent at least one AV8 Gempita, which is the variant of AFV30 to Saudi Arabia for trials in August/September 2018. [7]
In 2016, an AV8 was involved in an accident after a DefTech employee was killed during a roll over incident. [8]
The driver and the commander seats are located at the front of the vehicle, the turret in the middle and the troop's compartment at the rear. There is three large day periscopes at the front position of driver and commander and one on each side that provide excellent visibility. Eleven infantrymen can be seated at the rear of the hull on individual seats down each side of the hull facing inwards. All shock-absorbing seats are fitted with five-point seatbelts as standard. Back of the driver and commander position, there is an access passage to the troop compartment at the right side of the hull. The troops leave and enter the vehicle via a large hydraulic ramp mounted at the rear of the hull.
The hull of the original Pars consisted of a composite aluminium and steel armour that provides protection for the crew and infantry against firing of small arms 7.62 mm armour-piercing attack through a full 360°. The AV8 has add-on armour at the front and sides to increase protection level to STANAG 4569 Level 4, with protection against 14.5mm rounds. The added armour weight resulted in the decrease of water speed from 8 km/h of original Pars to only 6 km/h. The anti tank version with LCT30 turret is not amphibious. [4]
The AV8 will be delivered in 12 variants. A total of 124 units will be the IFV30 and IFV25 variants in the first batch of 257 AV8s. [9]
The most numerous variant is the AFV30, equipped with an LCT30 turret. [10] The LCT30 is a two-man turret designed and manufactured in South Africa by Denel Land Systems. The Denel LCT30 turret is armed with a Denel GI30 30 mm gun and a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun. The GI 30 is fully stabilized and has a computerized fire control system that enables targets to be engaged under day & night conditions with high first shot round hit probability even when the vehicle is moving. [11] 78 units of this variant will be produced in the first batch of 257 AV8s.
The IFV25 is the amphibious variant of the AV8, and is armed with a one-man Sharpshooter Turret. The FNSS Sharpshooter Turret is armed with a Bushmaster 25mm autocannon. A 7.62mm coaxial machine gun is mounted to the left side of the main armament. The turret is fully stabilised and can fire on the move in both day and night. The IFV25 variant has additional floats on the right side of the vehicle to balance the vehicle during amphibious operations. 46 units of this variant will be produced in the first batch of 257 AV8s.[ citation needed ]
The 12.7mm RWS variant is the most lightly armed AFV variant of the AV8 and is equipped with a Reutech Rogue 12.7mm remote weapon station. 54 units of this variant will be produced in the first batch of 257 AV8s.
The LCT30 ATGW variant is the most well-armed variant of the AV8, and is equipped with the LCT30 ATGW turret from Denel Land Systems. The LCT30 ATGW turret is armed with a Denel GI30 30 mm gun and one 7.62mm coaxial machine gun as well as four ZT3 Ingwe 127mm anti-tank guided missiles. The Ingwe is a laser beam riding missile with a range of 5000m and the ability to engage moving targets. 54 units of this variant will be produced in the first batch of 257 AV8s. [12]
It's expected to be in service by 2020. [4]
The SPM 120 variant is the highest calibre variant of the AV8, and is equipped with a 2R2M self-loading 120 mm mortar. Eight units of this variant will be produced in the first batch of 257 AV8s. The variant can carry up to fifty 120 mm mortar rounds and can shoot these unguided mortar shells with support of GPS within 13 meters in width and 9 meters in length of the target. [13]
The following are made by DefTech as for non-combat operations. [10]
The Patria AMV is an 8×8 multi-role military vehicle produced by the Finnish defence industry company Patria.
The Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé or VAB is a French armoured personnel carrier and support vehicle designed and manufactured by Renault Trucks Defense. It entered French service in 1979 and around 5,000 were produced for the French Army as well as for export. It has seen combat in various conflicts in Africa, Asia as well as Europe and has also been exported to more than 15 countries.
The FV432 is the armoured personnel carrier variant in the British Army's FV430 series of armoured fighting vehicles. Since its introduction in the 1960s, it has been the most common variant, being used for transporting infantry on the battlefield. At its peak in the 1980s, almost 2,500 vehicles were in use.
BTR-90 (GAZ-5923) is an 8×8 wheeled armored personnel carrier developed in Russia, designed in 1993 and first shown publicly in 1994. It is a larger version of the BTR-80 vehicle, fitted with a BMP-2 turret.
ACV-15 is the designation of an amphibious Infantry fighting vehicle family developed by the Turkish defense company FNSS Savunma Sistemleri A.Ş. This vehicle is also manufactured by DRB-HICOM Defence Technologies (DefTech). The design is an attempt to combine the capabilities of an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) and an armoured personnel carrier (APC). The ACV-15 is based on the American Advanced Infantry Fighting Vehicle, which in turn is based on the American M113A1 armored personnel carrier.
The ZT3 Ingwe (Leopard) is a modern South African multi-role laser beam riding anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) manufactured by Denel Dynamics.
The Royal Armoured Corps or Kor Armor Diraja (KAD) is the armoured forces of the Malaysian Army.
The Dragoon 300 AFV was produced by Arrowpointe Corporation during the 1980s. It was based on the automotive components of the United States Army's M113 APCs and 5-ton trucks. It resembles a larger V-150 Commando.
The CM-32 "Clouded Leopard", officially Taiwan Infantry Fighting Vehicle (TIFV), is an eight-wheeled armoured vehicle currently being produced for the Republic of China Army. It is based on the 6x6 CM-31 designed by Timoney Technology Limited of Ireland and is further developed by the Ordnance Readiness Development Center.
The Pars is an amphibious armoured combat vehicle family with 4×4, 6×6 and 8×8 versions, produced by FNSS Defence Systems of Turkey.
The Type 05 amphibious armored vehicle is a family of amphibious tracked armored fighting vehicles developed by Norinco for the People's Liberation Army Navy Marine Corps, consisting of two main combat variants — the ZBD-05 infantry fighting vehicle and the ZTD-05 assault vehicle, as well as several support variants based on the ZBD-05. The Type 05s could be launched at sea from an amphibious assault ship over the horizon, and features a hydroplane, a design concept that has been compared to the cancelled United States Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) program.
The RG-34 is a South African Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle (MRAP). Specially designed to be mine-resistant, it has been produced in multiple variants, equipped for troop or cargo transport, command, and fire support. Originally showcased with a wide turret ring and a 90mm rifled cannon, the RG-34 was one of the first MRAPs configured to carry a large gun system.
The VBTP-MR Guarani is a 6×6 armoured personnel carrier developed by Iveco and the Brazilian Army as part of its "Urutu-III" modernization program aimed to replace all EE-11 Urutu by 2015. The 8×8 version of the VBTP-MR is the base of Iveco's Superav armoured personnel carrier. Other Brazilian companies also participated in the program, such as IMBEL (Communications), Elbit (Armaments), Usiminas and Villares.
FNSS Savunma Sistemleri A.Ş. is a Turkish defense manufacturer founded in 1988. It is owned 51% by Nurol Holding of Turkey and 49% by British–American firm BAE Systems Inc., and operates facilities located in Gölbaşı, Ankara.
First Win is a mine-resistant ambush protected infantry mobility vehicle with an all-welded steel monocoque V-hull that provides high level protection against a variety of battlefield threats, including mines and improvised explosive devices. Gross vehicle weight is about nine tonnes and it can carry up to 10 troops plus driver.
The Reutech Rogue remote weapon system is a remotely controlled turret system for weapons ranging from 7.62 mm general purpose machine guns up to 20 mm cannons or a 40mm automatic grenade launcher. A version for anti-tank guided missiles has also been developed. There are versions for land and maritime use manufactured in South Africa by Reutech Solutions.
The SIBMAS is a Belgian amphibious infantry fighting vehicle. It was engineered from the same prototype as the South African Ratel. The SIBMAS was developed between 1975 and 1976 at a department of the BN Constructions Ferroviaires et Metalliques in Nivelles. Production was on an order-by-order basis and commenced only for the Malaysian Army.
The TATA Kestrel, also known as the IPMV , is a family of armoured personnel carriers developed by Tata Advanced Systems and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It was developed to replace Soviet-era BMP-1 and BMP-2 and APCs in service with the Indian Army.
DRB-HICOM Defence Technologies Sdn Bhd, officially known as DEFTECH, is a Malaysian defence contractor involved in the development, manufacture, supply, deliver and commissioning of armoured, non-armoured, and logistic vehicles for the military and homeland security. DEFTECH is also a supplier of specialised vehicles and commercial buses.