Malaysia Reveals MIFV-CH25 as Modernization Strategy to Sustain Aging Tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicle Fleet.

Malaysia has unveiled the MIFV-CH25 at DSA 2026 in Kuala Lumpur as a practical way to keep its tracked infantry fighting vehicle fleet combat-relevant without the cost and disruption of full replacement, with the program led by Cendana Auto and Hanwha Aerospace. The upgrade strengthens protected firepower, crew survivability, and mobility in terrain where armored units must move, fight, and react quickly under threat.

Built on the long-serving K200 family, the MIFV-CH25 integrates a 12.7 mm remote weapon station, enhanced thermal and infrared awareness, acoustic gunshot detection, improved crew systems, and restored amphibious capability. This combination delivers a more tactically effective vehicle for mechanized infantry support, riverine and wet-ground operations, and rapid close-range threat response while reflecting a broader shift toward modernizing legacy armored fleets for future warfare.

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Malaysia’s unveiling of the MIFV-CH25 at DSA 2026 highlights a practical upgrade strategy to extend the combat effectiveness of its aging K200-based tracked IFV fleet through improved protection, sensing and mobility (Picture Source: Army Recognition Group)

The message behind the MIFV-CH25 is not that Malaysia is fielding a new infantry fighting vehicle, but that it is visibly testing a realistic modernization route for a platform that has served for nearly three decades. Malaysian firm Cendana Auto described the vehicle as a comprehensive upgrade tailored to current and future operational requirements and adapted to Malaysia’s operational environment. That distinction matters. Rather than replacing the platform outright, the concept seeks to improve lethality, crew protection, mobility support systems, and battlefield awareness while retaining an existing tracked architecture already known to the user. For armies managing constrained budgets and established fleet structures, such modernization programs remain attractive because they can reduce procurement risk, limit training disruption, and preserve sustainment continuity while still delivering meaningful capability improvements.

From a capability standpoint, the MIFV-CH25 focuses on the areas that matter most in contemporary mechanized operations. The vehicle integrates a new Remote Controlled Weapon Station for a 12.7 mm gun, allowing protected engagement from inside the hull and reducing crew exposure during combat. This configuration also improves the platform’s ability to provide overwatch, suppressive fire, and rapid target engagement in low- to medium-intensity combat scenarios where staying under armor can be decisive. The displayed material also highlighted improved system electronics with integrated instrument and display panels, a new cabin cooling system and seating arrangement for a 12-person crew, new LED vehicle lights, six smoke grenade launchers, and a new hydraulic-assist rear ramp door intended to improve the speed and efficiency of troop movement during embarkation and dismount. Altogether, these additions indicate a modernization logic centered not on cosmetic renewal, but on survivability, crew efficiency, and faster battle drills.

One of the most operationally relevant elements of the upgrade is the vehicle’s emphasis on awareness and environmental adaptation. The MIFV-CH25 is fitted with front and rear thermal and infrared LED cameras, including what was described as a mission thermal camera system combining a front thermal camera with a rear IR-LED camera to improve close-range visibility for driving and parking in all lighting conditions. The vehicle also incorporates the PILAR V acoustic gunshot detection system, giving crews an additional means to detect hostile fire and react more quickly to local threats. These additions reflect a broader trend in armored warfare, where all-round awareness and reaction speed are becoming increasingly important in cluttered terrain, under persistent observation, and in environments where threats may emerge suddenly at short range from multiple directions.

Another major feature deserves particular attention in the Malaysian context: the restoration of amphibious capability. The displayed general features explicitly state that the upgrade restores the vehicle’s amphibious performance, which is more than a technical refinement. For a military that may operate across riverine terrain, wet ground, and littoral areas, retaining this type of mobility can directly affect tactical flexibility and route selection. This makes the modernization package especially relevant to Malaysian operating conditions, since it suggests the program is not only adding sensors and weapons, but also recovering an aspect of mobility that has direct operational value in the national environment.

This is a substantial rebuild rather than a light enhancement package. The MIFV-CH25 is powered by a MAN-Doosan D2848T V-8 engine with 2,755 cc displacement, rated at 350 hp at 3,400 rpm and 500 Nm of torque, coupled to an Allison X200-5K automatic transmission. Its listed dimensions were a 3,085 mm wheelbase, 5,490 mm overall length, 2,850 mm overall width, and 2,540 mm overall height, with 410 mm of ground clearance, a 1,500 kg payload, a 13,000 kg gross vehicle weight, and 400 litres of fuel capacity. These figures suggest that the modernization has been developed within a realistic operational envelope that preserves the basic character of the original tracked platform while supporting improved onboard systems and mission equipment. The automotive package appears intended to maintain usable mobility and reliability without pushing the vehicle outside the practical limits of its established architecture.

The industrial dimension gives the MIFV-CH25 additional importance beyond its technical content. The vehicle reflects the cooperation framework established between Hanwha Aerospace and Cendana Auto to modernize Malaysian Army K200 IFVs, with the actual work to be carried out in Malaysia by Cendana Auto. That point is significant because it links the vehicle to local integration, sustainment, and support capacity rather than treating it as a purely imported solution. For Kuala Lumpur, such an approach offers more than a fleet upgrade. It can also support domestic expertise in vehicle integration, long-term maintenance, repair, overhaul, and future systems support, while preserving a proven fleet structure and limiting the risks associated with full fleet replacement.

The MIFV-CH25 presented at DSA 2026 sends a clear signal about the direction Malaysia may be exploring for its armored vehicle fleet. By combining a 12.7 mm RCWS, thermal and infrared observation systems, acoustic gunshot detection, improved onboard electronics, better crew arrangements, restored amphibious performance, and a refreshed automotive baseline within the footprint of the existing MIFV, the program illustrates a practical modernization philosophy rooted in operational utility. More broadly, it reflects a growing trend among medium-sized armed forces seeking to keep legacy armored vehicles relevant through focused upgrades that strengthen survivability, situational awareness, and mobility rather than replacement for its own sake. For the Malaysian Army, the significance of the MIFV-CH25 lies precisely there: it is not merely a showpiece, but a credible indicator of how an older tracked fleet can be adapted to remain tactically useful in a more demanding battlefield environment.

Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.