DSEI, London -- Thales has been awarded a major contract for the integration of an advanced open vehicle electronic architecture system for the 257 new 8x8 armoured-wheeled vehicles of the Malaysian Army. Thales acts as a subcontractor of DEFTECH (DRB-HICOM Defence Technologies Sdn Bhd), the local company selected by the Malaysian Ministry of Defence for the design, development and manufacturing of the vehicles.

This contract confirms Thales’s position as a leading player in advanced vehicle system integration.

Today, combat vehicle platforms need to achieve greater efficiency on the battlefield and are becoming increasingly complex due to the need for integration of electronics equipment and network capabilities. Thanks to Thales’s high-level expertise in C4ISR1 systems for land forces, the Group has been selected to provide an integrated and scalable vehicle electronic architecture system including a wide range of new-generation equipment (communications, vetronics, sensors, command & control, mortar, optronics, etc.) to meet the rigorous operational performance criteria of the Malaysian Army.

In order to lead this programme in close cooperation with the customer, Thales relies on its local presence through Thales Malaysia Sdn Bhd and strengthens its local footprint thanks to its Malaysian joint-venture, Sapura Thales Electronics (STE), who will supply the complete HF and VHF radio communications system for the 257 vehicles.

Thales will integrate a state-of-the-art Open Information Communication System (OICS) - branded as VSys-net – a vehicle system electronics solution designed to optimise integration and enable information exchange (voice, data and video) both within vehicles and externally.

It combines a set of sub-systems and specific equipment that assist the commander during the mission (Battlefield Management System), manage the status of the vehicle components (Platform Management System), assist navigation, provide an optimised situational awareness and enhance survivability.

This solution will provide a consistent vehicle electronic architecture among the 12 variants (Infantry & Armoured Fighting Vehicles, Command, Anti-Tank, Recovery, Surveillance, etc.).

This will reduce integration risks on the overall program, speed up the operation, manage all platform systems in real time and enable optimised support services.

The Malaysian Army also renews its trust in Thales’s field proven equipment such as the unique 120mm 2R2M Mortar for the mortar variant offering an unmatched range of 13km, as well as the SQUIRE ground surveillance radar as part of the surveillance variant.

“We are very proud of the renewed confidence in Thales’s solution expressed by the Malaysian Army. Thales strengthens its commitment to Malaysia and the local defence industry with know-how and technology transfer.” explains Jean-Philippe Durieux, Country Director, Thales Malaysia. “Thales’s excellence and expertise in complex systems integration make us a trusted partner, able to respond to the armed forces’ ever growing needs.”