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  • 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 Air Force and the Royal Malaysian Navy.

  • 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.

  • History The first military units in Malaysia can

  • be traced back to the Penang Rifle Volunteers raised in 1 March 1861, and

  • the Malay States Volunteer Rifles which existed from 1915 to 1936.

  • The birth of the modern Malaysian Army came about when the Federal Council of

  • the Federated Malay States passed the Malay Regiment Bill on 23 January 1933.

  • This allowed the initial recruitment of 25 males for the First Experimental

  • Malay Company on 1 March 1933. Major G. McI. S. Bruce of the Lincolnshire

  • Regiment was the first Commanding Officer.

  • By 1 January 1935, the Experimental Company became The Malay Regiment with a

  • complement of 150 men. A battalion was formed on 1 January 1938 and eventually

  • a second battalion on 1 December 1941. The 1st Bn Malay Regiment was famous for

  • its defence of Opium Hill or Bukit Chandu in Singapore. The 'Battle of

  • Opium Hill' on 14 February 1942 involved 42 soldiers commanded by Lt. Adnan Bin

  • Saidi who defended their position against attack from the 18th Division of

  • the Japanese Imperial Army under Lt. Gen. Renya Mutaguchi. After World War II

  • and during the Malayan Emergency, the number of battalions was increased to 7

  • in the early 50s. The Kor Armor DiRaja can trace its roots

  • to the formation on 1 September 1952 of the Federation Reconnaissance Squadron.

  • It was later merged with the Federation Regiment to form the Federation

  • Reconnaissance Corps. The name underwent a few transformations from the Malaysian

  • Reconnaissance Corps, Royal Malaysian Reconnaissance Corps to Royal Cavalry

  • Corps and finally to Kor Armor DiRaja on 8 December 1986.

  • The Royal Ranger Regiment's lineage began in 1863 as the paramilitary

  • Sarawak Rangers. Although the 2nd in the order of precedence, it is the oldest

  • active formation of the Army. Organisation and structure

  • The Malaysian Army is currently organised into five Divisions and are

  • placed under the Field Army Headquarters. Three of which are based

  • on the Malaysian Peninsular, while the two are based on Malaysian Borneo. The

  • Grup Gerak Khas, 10th Parachute Brigade and the Pasukan Udara Tentera Darat are

  • independent formations and directly subordinate to the Chief of the Army.

  • The Malaysian Army currently has 17 Corps or Regiments. These are grouped

  • into 3 main components: the Combat Element, the Combat Support Element and

  • the Support Elements. Rank Structure

  • The Malaysian Army uses a rank structure [1] inherited from the British Army. the

  • Malaysian Army rank structure has 17 levels from Private to General. These

  • ranks are divided into 2 groups - Officer and Other Ranks which includes

  • the Non-Commissioned Officer ranks. = Officers=

  • Officers are sub-divided into 3 groups:- Senior Officers This group consists of

  • officers holding the ranks of Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, Brigadier General,

  • Major General, Lieutenant General and General

  • Field Officers Field Officers are officers holding the rank of Major

  • Junior Officers This group consists of Second Lieutenant, Lieutenant and

  • Captain grade officers. Other Ranks This group begins at Private

  • and works its way up to Warrant Officer I. This is further subdivided into 3

  • groups: Senior NCO This group includes NCOs

  • holding the rank of Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, Warrant Officer II and Warrant

  • Officer I. Junior NCO This group includes NCOs

  • holding the rank of Lance Corporal and Corporal.

  • Private Private soldiers in the Malaysian Army do not wear any rank

  • devices on their uniform. There are no distinctions made between junior or

  • senior Privates. Corps and regiments

  • Rejimen Askar Melayu DiRaja Rejimen Renjer DiRaja

  • Rejimen Sempadan Kor Armor DiRaja

  • Rejimen Artileri DiRaja Rejimen Semboyan DiRaja

  • Kor Perkhidmatan Am Kor Polis Tentera DiRaja;

  • Kor Kesihatan DiRaja Kor Risik DiRaja

  • Kor Perkhidmatan DiRaja; Kor Ordnans DiRaja

  • Rejimen Askar Jurutera DiRaja Kor Jurutera Letrik dan Jentera DiRaja

  • Kor Agama Angkatan Tentera Rejimen Askar Wataniah

  • Rejimen Gerak Khas Pasukan Udara Tentera Darat

  • = Combat element= Rejimen Askar Melayu DiRaja

  • This is the most senior regiment of the Malaysian Army. Its ranks are recruited

  • from amongst the Malay population. The Regiment has 25 battalions. The 1st

  • Battalion, the most senior in the Regiment, currently undertakes

  • ceremonial and Royal Guard duties. The remainder are configured as 20 Standard

  • Infantry Battalions, two Mechanised Infantry Battalions and two Parachute

  • Infantry Battalions. The regiment uses rifle green berets except two battalions

  • that wear maroon berets. See 17 RAMD Para Weblog The 19th Bn Royal Malay

  • Regiment was involved in the rescue of US Rangers and Delta Force operatives in

  • Somalia during the Battle of Mogadishu. The unit of 32 Radpanzer Condor APCs and

  • 113 men from MALBATT 1 went in with the United States 10th Mountain Division to

  • rescue the trapped Rangers. Four APCs were immobilised and were destroyed by

  • US helicopter gunships. 19 Royal Malay Regiment suffered 1 soldier killed in

  • action, PFC Mat Aznan Awang while 8 others were wounded in action. Pfc Mat

  • Aznan Awang was later promoted posthumously to Corporal and was awarded

  • with Pingat Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa, the nation's highest gallantry award. In

  • total, 7 officers and 26 NCOs were awarded various medals for their valour

  • during the operation, the highest number of men recommended for medals in a

  • single unit in a single operation. Rejimen Renjer DiRaja

  • This is a multi-racial unit organised along similar lines to the Rejimen Askar

  • Melayu DiRaja. There are currently 10 battalions within this regiment. The

  • Regiment traces its roots to the Sarawak Rangers and the Sarawak Constabulary,

  • famed jungle trackers who had a deadly reputation during the Malayan Emergency

  • and during the Communist Party of Malaya's insurgency in Malaysia. The 8th

  • Bn Royal Ranger Regiment was the first infantry battalion in the Malaysian Army

  • to undergo conversion into an airborne battalion. The unit is currently

  • assigned to the elite 10 Brigade. The Malaysian Army's most decorated soldier,

  • WOI Kanang anak Langkau was a Regimental Sergeant Major of 8 Ranger.

  • Rejimen Sempadan This is a newly created regiment from

  • the 300 series Territorial Army units in charge of the border. The Deputy Prime

  • Minister and Defence Minister, Najib Tun Razak, announced on 1 July 2006 the

  • formation of a new regiment specifically for border patrol. Members of the

  • regiment will be taken from various regiments and corps, most notably from

  • the Rejimen Askar Wataniah. It is believed that the army will form about 2

  • to 3 brigades of this new regiment. The new regiment was officially raised on 9

  • February 2008 by Najib Tun Razak at Tanah Merah, Kelantan.

  • Kor Armor DiRaja provides the armour capability for the Malaysian Army.

  • Currently, the Corps consists of 5 battalions, which are equipped with

  • various armoured personnel carriers and light combat vehicles. Rejimen ke-11 of

  • the Kor Armor DiRaja is the sole user of 48 PT-91M Main Battle Tanks from Poland.

  • = Combat Support element= Rejimen Artileri Diraja is the artillery

  • corps of the Malaysian Army and provides artillery support and local air defence

  • for army units. The regiment is equipped with 36 Brazilian-made Astros II

  • multiple launch rocket systems and 28 G5 MkIII towed artillery guns from South

  • Africa. Air defence is provided using a mix of Swiss Oerlikon twin 35 mm and

  • Swedish Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft artillery and missile systems such as

  • the Jernas and Starburst from the UK, Anza from Pakistan, FN-6 from China and

  • Igla from Russia. Malaysia committed to purchase Starstreak V-Shorads missiles

  • from the UK in 2015. Rejimen Semboyan Diraja is in charge of

  • strategic communication, tactical communications, electronic warfare and

  • early warning systems such as radar. Kor Polis Tentera DiRaja deploys as part

  • of the field army, in support of army operations, and enforces proper conduct

  • among army personnel. Aside from being responsible for base security, the

  • military police are also tasked with preventing and investigating criminal

  • activities on army property or by military personnel.

  • Rejimen Askar Jurutera DiRaja is tasked with demolitions, bridge-laying and the

  • repair of military infrastructure, such as airbase runways, or clearing

  • obstacles in emergency situations. Kor Jurutera Letrik dan Jentera DiRaja

  • is responsible for the maintenance of all vehicles and machinery of the

  • Malaysian Army. Kor Risik DiRaja specialises in

  • psychological warfare, surveillance, intelligence, reconnaissance and

  • counter-intelligence operations. Aside from handling propaganda and

  • counter-propaganda, the corps is also tasked with conducting background checks

  • on recruits when they first enroll in any training courses.

  • = Support elements= Kor Ordnans DiRaja ensures that all

  • military supplies and ordnance are stored, secured and inventoried

  • properly. Kor Agama Angkatan Tentera performs

  • religious services for Muslim and Christian personnel of the Malaysian

  • Army. It also provides counselling and conducts ritual prayers on the

  • battlefield. Kor Perkhidmatan DiRaja is in charge of

  • transporting troops and supplies to the various units of the Malaysian Army.

  • Kor Kesihatan DiRaja provides training for Army medics and other specialists.

  • It runs the Armed Forces hospitals and provides the battlefield mobile

  • hospitals. The unit has also provided relief MALMEDTIMs to Pakistan,

  • Afghanistan [2], West Sahara, Indonesia and Palestine.

  • Kor Perkhidmatan Am handles administration and financial management

  • for the entire army. = Special Forces=

  • Rejimen Gerak Khas is the Malaysian Army's special forces and commando

  • regiment. 21 Gerup Gerak Khas is the operational home of various specialists

  • and the Commando battalions, which are capable of conducting unconventional

  • warfare or special operations. One of the known foreign operations involving

  • this regiment was in an attack by Somali militia on a convoy transporting UN

  • Intelligence Chief in UNOSOM II on 18 July 1994. In the action, two members of

  • the regiment were killed in action, while another four were wounded. One of

  • the injured men was taken hostage by the militia and was released nine hours

  • later. 10 Paratrooper Brigade is an elite

  • airborne unit tasked with being rapidly deployed inside or outside the

  • boundaries of Malaysia. 10th Para is the key element of the Malaysian Rapid

  • Deployment Force and it is Malaysia primary main offensive force in time of

  • war or emergencies. = Air unit=

  • Pasukan Udara Tentera Darat is the Army Aviation branch formed around a core of

  • Royal Malaysian Air Force officers. This new Army formation is tasked with

  • liaison duties, providing limited transport capabilities, close air

  • support and also air reconnaissance using light observation helicopters. The

  • unit currently has one squadron, No. 881 Squadron, which is equipped with 11

  • Agusta A109 light helicopters. The main Army Air Corps base is located in

  • Kluang, Johor. = Reserves=

  • Rejimen Askar Wataniah forms the second line of Malaysia's defence. Formed by

  • college students, professionals and civilians, it provides support for the

  • regular armed forces of Malaysia and is responsible for the security of key

  • installations in times of conflict. Originally tasked with area and local

  • defence, the Rejimen Askar Wataniah units have been reconfigured and will

  • perform front line duties alongside regular units when the need arises.

  • Rejimen Askar Wataniah units, such as armoured squadrons, are integral units

  • of several Kor Armor DiRaja regiments. Strength

  • The personnel strength of the Malaysian Army is approximately 80,000 personnel

  • in the Active Army, 50,000 in the Active Reserve and 26,600 active and 244,700

  • reservists in the Paramilitary. The Malaysian Army consists of 4

  • infantry divisions, 9 infantry brigades, 1 special forces brigade, 1 airborne

  • brigade and 1 mechanised brigade, composed of:

  • 36 Light Infantry Battalions 3 Airborne Infantry Battalions

  • 3 Mechanised Infantry Battalions 5 Armoured battalions

  • 1 light tank squadron 13 Artillery Regiments

  • 3 Special Forces Regiments 3 field engineer regiments

  • 1 airborne infantry squadron 1 construction regiment

  • 4 military police regiments 1 signals regiment

  • 1 intelligence unit 1 helicopter squadron

  • The territorial army includes: 16 light infantry regiments

  • 2 border surveillance brigades 5 highway surveillance battalions

  • 2 field engineer regiments Equipment

  • Present Development Since the recovery from the 1997

  • economic crisis, MA, along with other branches of the MAF, has regained

  • momentum in its modernising programs. The first major procurement was to set a

  • milestone by building its first ever main battle tank regiment. MA received

  • delivery of 48 PT-91M main battle tanks and other tank-based equipment, like ARV

  • WZT-4 from Poland, fully completed contract of sale in March 2010. Despite

  • adding some 28 units of South African G5 Mk III 155 mm howitzers, another major

  • procurement was 18 units of Astros MLRS from Brazil, which delivery was

  • completed in 2006. A second batch of 18 MRLS was ordered in 2007. MA is also

  • rapidly mechanising its current inventory - 211 Adnan IFVs were acquired

  • by the army in 2004. Following a more recent procurement of the Pakistani

  • Bakhtar-Shikan Anti-armor missile launcher, these were installed on the

  • Adnans. MA is now shifting its emphasis on

  • enhancing its air wing. In September 2006, MA received its 11th and last

  • Agusta-Westland A109H Light Utility Helicopter. These helicopters are to

  • initially complement, and ultimately replace, the ageing SA316B Aérospatiale

  • Alouette III helicopters. Six of them were to be installed with light arms and

  • to be tasked to a scout observation unit; a sample was shown in LIMA 07. The

  • configuration of the remainder is unclear. Furthermore, the army will also

  • receive S61A-4 Nuri multipurpose helicopters after they are retired from

  • RMAF; these will form the backbone of the army's very first air transport

  • units - 881 and 882 squadrons of the army air wing.

  • In the same year, at the biannual Defence Services Asia 2006, Malaysia

  • announced that the US made M4 Carbine service rifle will replace the

  • Austrian-made Steyr AUG service rifle for all three Malaysian Armed Forces

  • services. The army will receive the new weapon soon.

  • There is also a requirement for an upgrade to the current air defence

  • network. However, a dispute between the army and the air force on whether to

  • introduce a mid-range SAM system had led to the procurement being put on hold.

  • According to a recent interview of the army's chief of staff, Ismail bin Haji

  • Jamaluddin, the army has no intention of taking over the mid-range air defence

  • role. = Future Soldier System=

  • The Malaysian Army currently has a soldier modernisation programme called

  • the Future Soldier System. Under the FSS, The Malaysian Army plans to equip

  • all soldiers with Personal Protection Equipment such as Kevlar helmets, Kevlar

  • vests, Oakley goggles and ear protection equipment. The programme also includes

  • arming all the standard issue M4 carbines with SOPMOD kits, as well as

  • equipping soldiers with a Glock series pistol.

  • Sapura, a Malaysian electronics company, is offering their SAKTI soldier system

  • concept via work in three areas: Head Sub-System, Body Sub-System and Weapon

  • Sub-System. The HSS consists of a HelmetMounted Micro Camera and night

  • vision capability with a data output, helmet-mounted display and earpiece and

  • microphone; the WSS consists of a the Rifle Control Unit consisting of a

  • five-button wireless controller for one handed use with key features including

  • push to talk for the radio, switching the HMD on and off, turning the HMD

  • brightness up and down as well as video transmission to friendly forces. The BSS

  • consists of a controller system, energy unit with a power pack for the

  • communication interface, micro-camera and HMD with a single polymer lithium

  • ion battery for up to ten hours of operation; a communications interface

  • for secure IP based radio which from the image is a Thales St@rmille radio and

  • finally a navigation unit with a display for blue force tracking and situational

  • awareness, colour digital mapping and terrain and urban profile analysis. The

  • system displayed is visually similar to the Kord Defence SmartGrip RIC developed

  • in partnership with Thales Australia. References

  • Notes Works cited

  • International Institute for Strategic Studies. The Military Balance 2012.

  • London: IISS. ISSN 0459-7222. External links

  • Malaysian Army Official Website Malaysian Armed Forces Official Website

  • Malaysian Ministry of Defence Official Website

The Malaysian Army is the land component of the Malaysian Armed Forces. Steeped

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