DSA 2024: Malaysian Army's 6×6 self-propelled howitzer procurement fac…

KNDS France proposed its 6×6 CAESAR 155 mm/52 calibre SPH – a mock-up of which is displayed above from the DSA 2024 exhibition – to the Malaysian Army. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)

The Malaysian Army has expressed its willingness to initiate the 6×6 155 mm/52 calibre self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) procurement programme – which is facing delays since it was announced in 2010 – in 2024 at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2024 exhibition held at Kuala Lumpur from 6 to 9 May.

The Malaysian Army's 6×6 SPH procurement programme is “important” for the service as determined by “our doctrine”, General Tan Sri Dato' Muhammad Hafizuddeain bin Jantan, chief of the Malaysian Army, told Janes at the exhibition.

“But we [the Malaysian Army] are still waiting for the government approval to procure the systems. We are in the final stage of talks with the government to procure the SPHs and the government may approve the procurement by the end of 2024,” Gen Jantan said.

Janes understands that French company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW)+Nexter Defense Systems (KNDS) with its CAESAR, Türkiye's Makina ve Kimya Endüstrisi (MKE) with its Yavuz, Slovakia's Konstrukta Defence with its EVA, and China North Industries Group Corporation Limited (Norinco) with its SH-15 will participate in the Malaysian Army's 6×6 SPH procurement programme.

A spokesperson of KNDS told Janes at the exhibition that the company has partnered with Malaysian company Advanced Defence Systems (ADS) to offer its 6×6 155 mm/52 calibre CAESAR SPH to the army.

“The Malaysian Army initially plans to procure 18 SPHs,” the spokesperson added.

KNDS earlier delivered 18 LG1 Mk III 105 mm Light Guns to the Malaysian Army in partnership with ADS, the spokesperson added.