Gempita for Malaysia’s Kor Marin

05 Mei 2020

AV-8 Gempita armed with M242 Bushmaster 25mm gun (photo : Wiki)

Part of the first batch of FNSS/DEFTECH AV-8 Gempita 8×8 Armoured Wheeled Vehicle (AWV) were 46 AFV-25 amphibious armoured infantry fighting vehicle (AIFV) armed with M242 Bushmaster 25mm gun. These amphibious armed vehicles formed the bulk of 19th Mechanised Battalion, Royal Malay Regiment (19RAMD Mek).

Despite not having Marine Corps, ever since 1983, the Malaysian Army has put emphasise on amphibious capability to its armoured units especially with the country is sprawled with rivers and lakes. Relying solely on combat bridge system would halt the momentum of the advancing column hence almost all of the armoured vehicles in the Army’s inventory be it the veteran Radpanzer Condor 4×4 Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), SIBMAS 6×6 Armoured Recovery Vehicle (ARV) and Armoured Fire Support Vehicle (AFSV), Daewoo K200A1 APC and FNSS/DEFTECH ACV-300 Adnan AIFV.

Having said that, the Army does have a plan to spearhead (if not outrightly command) an amphibious force a la US Marine Corps based on threats in the South China Sea and lessons learnt from Ops Daulat.

At one time, the Army was almost getting its hands on the iconic AAV-7 from the US, if and only if Malaysia takes the offer to procure a former US Navy Landing Port Dock (LPD) ship, the USS Dallas. That was never materialised but did not hampered the country’s ambition to have such a military force.

AV-8 Gempita 8×8 Armoured Wheeled Vehicle (AWV), the 46 AFV-25 amphibious armoured infantry fighting vehicle (AIFV) armed with M242 Bushmaster 25mm gun (photo : MMP)

A Marine Battalion Landing Team needs an amphibious landing ship to bring it close to staging area before the Marines either being flown into the battle through air on-board assault helicopters or being brought to the beachhead on-board an amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) .

It seems like the tracked AAV are nearing its horizon after more than 80 years in combat beginning from the US Marines’ island hopping campaign in the Pacific during World War 2. As the dawn of wheeled AAV era begins, more amphibious force around the World will eventually trade off their tracked veterans with much fresher Wheeled variant.

The USMC is pioneering the use of Wheeled AAV through its Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) program which will see BAe System producing four ACV variants including the personnel carrier (ACV-P), command and control (ACV-C), recovery (ACV-R), and ACV-30.

The ACV-30 is unique as it incorporates the Kongsberg’s Protector Medium Caliber Turret 30 mm (MCT-30) using the XM813 30 mm Mk44 Bushmaster chain gun.

Two propeller equipped AV-8 AFV25 (photo : cari)

As and when the second batch of Gempita enters production, one of the variants that needs to be considered is the amphibious variant equipped with unmanned 30mm gun turret. The variant will give full protection to the crew and the Marines on board while ensuring overwhelming firepower on enemy’s beachhead.

All this time, the 10th Parachute Brigade (Bgd 10 Para) has been relying on 10th Armoured Squadron’s Alvis Stormer APC and Alvis Scorpion 90mm Light tank to provide support in the beachhead. They are neither amphibious (hence need landing craft or hovercraft to disembark them) nor they are operational anymore.

The Gempita might be considered as a big vehicle if it is to be used in airborne operation. Having said that, given chance, it seems to have great potentials in amphibious warfare.

The Marines Gempita will definitely being used out of the two Multi Role Support Ship (MRSS) that the Navy is requesting and pushing for procurement in the near term.

With the first batch production and delivery is nearing completion, it is better for the Government to make follow on order from DEFTECH as part of the economic stimulus following the slow down due to the outbreak of coronavirus that originated from Wuhan, China.

(MFH)