MILDEF Malaysia HMAV successfully completes first round of Malaysian Army evaluation testing

After its public unveiling in February, the MILDEF 4×4 High Mobility Armoured Vehicle (HMAV) has successfully a first round of evaluation testing. Conducted across nine days, the MILDEF HMAV was subjected to 700 km of road testing and 300 km off-road, as well as being put through the paces on an obstacle course.

Testing was conducted by teams from the Malaysian Army and Defence Science and Technology Research Institute (STRIDE) as well as MILDEF, with driving duties performed by army personnel. The HMAV was subjected to testing such as highway endurance, fuel efficiency, load, winching, slope, mounting and dismounting, climbing and braking, including a one metre fording test.

“MILDEF is satisfied at the performance of the HMAV during this very important first round of testing. We are now planning to conduct testing at several other locations,” said Datuk Sri Mohd Nizam bin Kasa, chief executive officer of MILDEF.

Costing RM16 million to develop, the HMAV is a Malaysian product intended for both the domestic and international defence market. Designed to withstand munitions such as 7.62 mm armour piercing rounds and mines, the HMAV is built to Stanag 4569 Level 2 military standard.

Weighing 13.2 tonnes, the HMAV is powered by a Caterpillar Diesel engine displacing 7,200 cc and producing 330 hp. This gives the HMAV a power to weight ratio of 25 hp per tonne and during testing, the vehicle reached a test speed of 110 km/h.