Company type | Private Limited Company |
---|---|
Industry | Automotive Defence |
Founded | 2003 |
Headquarters | |
Area served | South East Asia |
Products | Military vehicles Military/law enforcement equipment and maintenance Industry/technology consultation |
Parent | Weststar Group |
Subsidiaries | Global Komited |
Website | Weststar Defence Industries Weststar Global Komited |
Weststar Defence Industries Sdn Bhd, [1] also known as Weststar Defense, [2] is a Malaysian defence contractor involved in the development, manufacture and distribution of military and law enforcement vehicles, as well as providing consultancy services.
Through its subsidiary Global Komited, it plays an important role in supplying military equipment to Malaysian Armed Forces. [3]
It was established in 2003 as a Ford vehicle dealership before it moved to the defense industry in 2007. [4]
On 6 March 2012, the Malaysian Defense Ministry announced that Weststar would supply the Malaysian Armed Forces with the General Service (GS) cargo trucks. 11 GS cargo trucks were supplied in 2012. [5] [6]
On 16 April 2014, a contract was signed with Thales in order to promote various air defense systems to the Malaysian Armed Forces. [7]
On 10 June 2014, Weststar was awarded a contract to supply the Timor Leste Defence Force with GS cargo trucks. 10 vehicles were to be delivered before the end of the year, and the company claimed that another 40 were to be ordered. [8] The contract was priced at RM11 million (£2 million). [8]
During the Defence & Security Exhibition 2015 convention, Thales which partnered with Weststar subsidiary, Global Komited announced that it had signed a contract to supply the Malaysian Armed Forces with ForceSHIELD to serve as its air defense system. This included Starstreak missiles, Ground Master 200 radar and weapon coordination systems, and Rapid Ranger and Rapid Rover mobile weapon systems. [9]
On 20 April 2016, Weststar received a contract from the Malaysian Armed Forces to equip them with 44 Weststar GK-M1 Rapid Rover vehicles. An additional 44 were also expected to be ordered. They would be installed with the Starstreak very short-range air defence (VSHORAD) missile on a Lightweight Multiple Launcher (LML) system. [10] Prototypes were tested after the contract was announced. [11]
At the Defence Service Asia (DSA) 2016 exhibition, Weststar unveiled the Special Operations Vehicle (SOV) to visitors to showcase it to potential customers. [12]
Weststar through its subsidiary, Global Komited has supplied Malaysian Armed Forces with 12 IAG Guardian in 2017. [13]
In 2023, Weststar supplied Malaysian Armed Forces with CW-25D hybrid VTOL UAS completed with two truck mounted command and control vehicle. [14]
At the Defence Service Asia (DSA) 2024, Weststar stated that they has delivered 50 an updated version of the vehicle called GK-M2 to the Malaysian Armed Forces while another 50 will be delivered in 2025 and another 50 in 2026. At the same exhibition also, Weststar announced that they had received a contract to supply four IAG Guardian to the Royal Malaysia Police. [15]
Source: [16]
The Malaysian Armed Forces, are the armed forces of Malaysia, consists of three branches; the Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Air Force. The number of MAF active personnel is 113,000 along with the reserve forces at 51,600. The Supreme Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong; the King of Malaysia.
Starstreak is a British short-range surface-to-air missile that can be used as a man-portable air-defence system (MANPADS) or used in heavier systems. It is manufactured by Thales Air Defence in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is also known as Starstreak HVM. After launch, the missile accelerates to more than Mach 4, making it the fastest short-range surface-to-air missile in existence. It then launches three laser beam-riding submunitions, increasing the likelihood of a successful hit on the target. Starstreak has been in service with the British Army since 1997. In 2012 Thales relaunched the system as ForceSHIELD.
Thales Air Defence Limited (TADL), formerly Shorts Missile Systems (SMS), is a defence contractor based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, producing short range air defence missiles.
The Royal Malaysian Air Force was formed on 2 June 1958 as the Royal Federation of Malaya Air Force. However, its roots can be traced back to the Malayan Auxiliary Air Force formations of the British Royal Air Force in then-colonial British Malaya. The Royal Malaysian Air Force operates a mix of modern American, European and Russian-made aircraft.
The Malaysian Army is the land component of the Malaysian Armed Forces. Steeped in British Army traditions, the Malaysian Army does not carry the title ‘royal’ as do the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Air Force. Instead, the title is bestowed on selected army corps and regiments who have been accorded the honour by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, who is the Supreme Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces.
Starburst is a British man-portable surface-to-air missile produced by Shorts Missile Systems of Belfast. It was used by the British Army, Malaysian Armed Forces, and in the Canadian Army as the Javelin until 2005. It can be fired from the shoulder or from a launcher known as Starburst LML – Lightweight Multiple Launcher.
The Condor is a 4×4 wheeled armoured personnel carrier originally designed by Thyssen-Henschel of Germany and manufactured by Henschel Wehrtechnik GmbH. The first prototype was completed in 1978. The Condor was designed as a successor to its UR-416 APC. The upgraded Condor 2 was first sold in 2004. Today, the Condor is considered a legacy product of Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles, part of Rheinmetall's Vehicle Systems Division. The nearest vehicle to the Condor in RMMV's current product range is the Survivor R.
The URO VAMTAC is a Spanish four-wheel drive military vehicle manufactured by UROVESA. Externally it is similar in appearance and design to the Humvee of the United States Military due to similar requirements. More than 2,000 of the vehicles have been delivered to the Spanish Armed Forces. Several other countries operate the VAMTAC as well, and it has seen service most recently in Afghanistan and Syria. The vehicle comes in three models, named I3, S3 and ST5, and has several configurations.
Martlet or the Lightweight Multirole Missile(LMM) is a lightweight air-to-surface, air-to-air, surface-to-air, and surface-to-surface missile developed by Thales Air Defence for the United Kingdom. It is named after a mythical bird from English heraldry that never roosts, the Martlet.
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.
SC Group is a British manufacturer of military vehicles and related equipment. It was known as Supacat Ltd until 2015. Supacat was established in 1981 and based at Dunkeswell Aerodrome in England. SC Group now comprises four companies: Supacat, SC Innovation, Proteum and Blackhill Engineering.
The IAG Guardian is a United Arab Emirates-made armored personnel vehicle. It was developed by the International Armored Group company. It's available in 4x4 and 6x6 configurations. This vehicle has been used in the Middle East conflict and has been marked as battle proven to participate in low intensity conflicts.
Weststar GK-M1/M2 is a Malaysian military light utility vehicle or light tactical vehicle designed and manufactured by Weststar Defence Industries.
Mildef International Technologies or Mildef (former name: Kembara Suci Sdn. Bhd.) is a Malaysian private company established in 2005. Its main business is related to the defense sector especially in land vehicle. This involved the development, manufacture and distribution of military and law enforcement vehicles, as well as providing maintenance services.
The Mildef Tarantula HMAV is a Malaysian 4×4 V-hull mine-resistant infantry mobility vehicle that provides high level protection against a variety of battlefield threats such as mines and improvised explosive devices. The vehicle was designed and manufactured by Mildef International Technologies alongside Science Technology Research Institute for Defense (STRIDE) and the Malaysian Armed Forces. It was first launched on 11 February 2021.
The Cendana Auto Rover is a Malaysian military light utility vehicle or light tactical vehicle designed and manufactured by a local company Cendana Auto. This vehicles has similarities to the Humvee made by the United States. It is designed to have the ability to be modular for use in various operations hence its consist of various configuration depending on the mission.