Gempita ISTAR Successfully Found Illegal Immigrants

28 Juli 2020

The presence of Gempita in anti illegal immigrant operation equipped with Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) variant of the Gempita (photo : MFH)

Ops Benteng: Gempita Strikes

Five illegal immigrants from neighbour country has been detained at  Kampung Gambut Punggai, Kota Tinggi, Johor after the boat that tried to smuggle them into Malaysia was detected by ISTAR variant of FNSS/DEFTECH AV-8 Gempita 8×8 armoured vehicle operated by the 2nd Regiment, Royal Armoured Corp (2 KAD) on July 12.

Gempita ISTAR 8x8 (photo : Army Recognition)

Based from the radar leads given by the Gempita’s Thales Vintaqs Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) sensors, the men from the 61st Royal Artillery Regiment (61 RAD) led by Kapt Norhisham Iswandy and stationed at Tanjung Sepat Military Post were vectored to the suspected landing area where the illegal immigrants were intercepted just as the boat was 50 meters away from the shore.

All of the immigrants arrested by the Army were of Indonesian citizens aged between 23 to 40 years old. They were handed over to the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) for further actions.

The Thales Squire radar system on Vingtaqs II can detect and classify moving targets on, or close to, the ground at ranges up to 48 km. Squire features automatic target classification facilities for persons, wheeled vehicles, tracked vehicles and helicopters. (photo : Army Recognition)

Deployment of the Gempita ISTAR in the southern region is part of Ops Merpati, a long standing anti illegal immigrant operation along Johor’s East Coast. The operation is now being integrated as part of Ops Benteng, an operation to stem the importation of coronavirus into the country via illegal immigrants.

The Rheinmetall Defence Vingtaqs II optronic device without the radar antenna, Vingtaqs II  is  long range – surveillance, observation and reconnaissance system(photo : Rheinmetall Defence)

Besides Kota Tinggi in the southern region, the Army also deployed the Gempita ISTAR to Langkawi for similar operations against illegal immigrants from Myanmar.

Radar images of Gempita ISTAR (photo MMP)

Besides Gempita ISTAR, the authorities are now looking for any other illegal immigrants who might have managed to escape arrest and could be in hiding somewhere near the vicinity. For that, the Army is deploying its Schiebel S-100 Camcopter UAV operated by Defence Intelligence Staff Division (Bahagian Staf Perisikan Pertahanan or BSPP) to assist the troops on the ground.

(MFH)