Latest news with #MildefInternationalTechnologiesSdnBhd
New Straits Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Lima '25: RM11 billion in contracts, MoU inked to strengthen defence capabilities
LANGKAWI: RM11 billion worth of contracts, letters of intent and memoranda of understanding (MoU) were inked on the third day of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2025 (Lima '25) today. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the total expenditure was aimed at strengthening national defence capabilities across five key areas namely land, maritime and air assets, cybersecurity, and welfare facilities for the armed forces. The agreements included 40 contracts or letters of acceptance (LOA), two letters of intent (LOI) awarded to companies that had secured procurement contracts from the Defence Ministry from the end of 2023 until now, and six MoUs between the ministry and selected strategic partners. However, the total contract value also includes an additional 45 procurement contracts that were previously signed, valued at between RM10 million and RM30 million. "Of the letters of acceptance, 40 were for contracts exceeding RM30 million each, totalling RM7.54 billion. The remaining 45 contracts, each worth below RM30 million, amounted to RM783 million. "The two letters of intent were valued at RM2.68 billion with one involving the procurement of 136 armoured combat vehicles from local firm Mildef International Technologies Sdn Bhd, worth RM1.88 billion. "The other was between the ministry and Lumut Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd for integrated logistics support and training for the Royal Malaysian Navy's Littoral Combat Ships, valued at RM800 million," he said at a press conference after the signing ceremony. Khaled said the ministry also signed six MoUs, including one with Boustead Technology Sdn Bhd for strategic cooperation in the armed forces communications programme. "The remaining five were with Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM), focusing on research and development, technology transfer, artificial intelligence and systems integration. "Today's signings also covered key military acquisitions to improve operational readiness. These include the purchase of two long-range radar systems in Terengganu and Johor (RM277 million), 178 short-range anti-tank weapons (RM49 million), and 780 light anti-tank systems (RM35 million)," he said. Major sustainment contracts were also awarded including RM1.02 billion for submarine maintenance by Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation, RM187 million for F/A-18D Hornet fighter aircraft, and RM378 million for EC725 helicopter maintenance. A further RM320 million was allocated to build a new Armed Forces hospital in Kem Terendak. The ministry also signed RM112 million for its X-band satellite programme and RM73 million for secure satellite communications, both crucial to cybersecurity and telecommunication resilience.
BusinessToday
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- BusinessToday
LIMA '25: Mildef Forges Strategic Pact With Turkiye Firm For Tarantula 4x4 Tech Enhancement
In a significant step towards strengthening bilateral defence ties and advancing local military capabilities, Malaysia's Mildef International Technologies Sdn Bhd has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Turkish defence giant Aselsan AŞ to upgrade the Tarantula 4×4 armoured vehicle with cutting-edge technologies. The agreement, signed at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition, positions Mildef as the main contractor and platform provider, while Aselsan will contribute key defence technologies, including remote-controlled weapon systems, communication systems, electro-optical sensors and command and control systems. 'This collaboration enables both parties to jointly submit technical and commercial proposals to the Malaysian government, ensuring shared responsibilities, confidentiality, and regulatory compliance,' Mildef said in a statement. The partnership also aims to promote cost efficiency, enable technology transfer and strengthen Malaysia's defence industry by integrating global technological expertise with local innovation. By aligning local industrial strength with international innovation, the agreement reinforces Malaysia's defence self-reliance agenda and strengthens its position within the regional defence ecosystem, while paving the way for future technological advancements in combat vehicle capabilities. Related
The Star
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Lima '25: Ribat showcases local talent, innovation in defence industry
LANGKAWI: Behind its compact and rugged design, the country's first high mobility light tactical vehicle (HMLTV) Ribat holds an extraordinary story of determination, courage and the capability of local talent willing to take great risks for the advancement of the country's defence industry. Fully designed by Mildef International Technologies Sdn Bhd (Mildef), the armoured vehicle is not just a symbol of physical strength, but also reflects the perseverance of a local company in creating a defence asset which, it was assumed all these while, could only be produced by advanced countries. In an exclusive interview with Bernama, Mildef managing director Datuk Seri Mohd Nizam Kasa (pic) shared that the idea to create Ribat came about following their success in producing the earlier model, the high-mobility armoured vehicle Tarantula. "Ribat is a type of specially-designed vehicle we felt was needed after the company produced the Tarantula. This vehicle is compact and suitable for all types of missions… it can operate at the borders (or) any assigned tasks,' he said. More interestingly, Nizam said Ribat, which carries high symbolic value and refers to the spirit of guarding and defending the country based on faith, patriotism and technology, was named by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim himself. In conjunction with the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2025 (Lima '25), which began on Tuesday (May 20), Anwar also launched Ribat at the Mildef avillion of the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre (MIEC), thus making the company the first producer of national tactical armoured vehicles. Behind the success of Ribat's production lies an even bigger achievement as it was fully designed by Malaysians, right from the sketching, research and development (R&D) and production stages to the final tests… everything was done domestically. Nizam said that about 60 to 70 per cent of the vehicle's components, which are equipped with a modular ballistic protection system and designed for missions such as patrols, convoys and special operations, were developed by local engineers while its components, such as the engine and transmission, were imported before being assembled and tested in the country. "This Ribat is 100 per cent locally designed, from the first sketch and drawing right up to in-house manufacturing… we did the integration, commissioning and testing all by ourselves at our factory in Sendayan, Negri Sembilan,' he said. He shared that the idea to build Ribat came about from a sense of national responsibility and the need to be self-reliant in terms of the country's military asset development, without having to depend on foreign support, including maintenance. Although it was a huge challenge, he said it took them two and a half years to complete the vehicle, from design and prototype evaluation to mobility testing, weapons integration, communications systems and protective features. Nizam said the development also produced a strategic collaboration between Mildef and the Defence Science and Technology Research Institute (STRIDE), a prominent research agency under the Defence Ministry. This was done through the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) by focusing efforts on the development of two more tactical vehicle platforms that will be fully designed domestically. However, he said that what is more encouraging is Ribat's ability to directly compete with international products, with Mildef now targeting the export markets in South Asia and the Middle East, where demand for high-quality defence technology is rising. He added that the company is actively involved in global defence exhibitions, including in Abu Dhabi (the United Arab Emirates), France, the Philippines and Vietnam. In addition to developing military capabilities, he said the initiative also opened the way for economic growth and domestic human capital development, considering that Ribat also serves as a platform to train youths in technical fields through the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme. "This is an added value… besides generating our economy, we are also creating job opportunities and developing skills among our youths and children under the TVET,' he said. With a clear long-term vision, he said Mildef plans to produce tracked vehicles and special operations vehicles within the next two years, thus making Malaysia one of the countries with its own defence technology capabilities.- Bernama
Barnama
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Barnama
RIBAT Showcases Local Talent And Innovation In Defence Industry
By Maizatul Jamny Muhammad Rosli LANGKAWI, May 20 (Bernama) -- Behind its compact and rugged design, the country's first high mobility light tactical vehicle (HMLTV) RIBAT holds an extraordinary story of determination, courage and the capability of local talent willing to take great risks for the advancement of the country's defence industry. Fully designed by Mildef International Technologies Sdn Bhd (MILDEF), the armoured vehicle is not just a symbol of physical strength, but also reflects the perseverance of a local company in creating a defence asset which, it was assumed all these while, could only be produced by advanced countries. In an exclusive interview with Bernama, MILDEF managing director Datuk Seri Mohd Nizam Kasa shared that the idea to create RIBAT came about following their success in producing the earlier model, the high-mobility armoured vehicle Tarantula. "RIBAT is a type of specially-designed vehicle we felt was needed after the company produced the Tarantula. This vehicle is compact and suitable for all types of missions… it can operate at the borders (or) any assigned tasks,' he said. More interestingly, Mohd Nizam said RIBAT, which carries high symbolic value and refers to the spirit of guarding and defending the country based on faith, patriotism and technology, was named by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim himself. In conjunction with the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2025 (LIMA'25), which began today, Anwar also launched RIBAT at the MILDEF Pavillion of the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre (MIEC), thus making the company the first producer of national tactical armoured vehicles. Behind the success of RIBAT's production lies an even bigger achievement as it was fully designed by Malaysians, right from the sketching, research and development (R&D) and production stages to the final tests… everything was done domestically. Mohd Nizam said that about 60 to 70 per cent of the vehicle's components, which are equipped with a modular ballistic protection system and designed for missions such as patrols, convoys and special operations, were developed by local engineers while its components, such as the engine and transmission, were imported before being assembled and tested in the country.
The Star
20-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Lima '25: PM launches first locally-made high mobility light tactical vehicle 'Ribat'
LANGKAWI: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim launched 'Ribat', the first high mobility light tactical vehicle (HMLTV) designed and fully built by local company Mildef International Technologies Sdn Bhd (Mildef). The launch was held in conjunction with the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2025 (Lima '25) at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre (MIEC). More interestingly, Ribat was named by the Prime Minister himself, which carries high symbolic value and refers to the spirit of guarding and defending the country based on faith, patriotism and technology. Ribat refers to the practice of guarding and controlling the border to defend the safety of the people. It symbolises preparedness, courage and the spirit of sacrifice for the sake of the country. At the event, Anwar witnessed the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Mildef and major Indonesian defence company PT Pindad, and the collaboration is set to open up opportunities for exports, technology transfer and system integration between the two regional nations. The Prime Minister also witnessed the inking of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) between Mildef and the Defence Science and Technology Research Institute (STRIDE), which is a prominent research agency under the Defence Ministry.- Bernama
