Hyundai Rotem competes with 6x6 K806 for Malaysian army armored vehicles replacement


According to Defense Studies, the Malaysian Army recently started to conduct the next-generation wheeled armored vehicle project to replace the Sibmas and Condor wheeled armored vehicles. About 400 6x6 vehicles should be ordered.
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Hyundai Rotem's K806 (Picture source: Army Recognition)


Currently, the main types of wheeled armored vehicles in operation by the Malaysian Army are 186 old Belgian-made 6x6 Sibmas introduced in the late 1970s, and 316 German-made 4x4 Condors. The Sibmas has a combat weight of 14.5 tons, carries 14 troops including a crew member, and is armed with a 90mm low-pressure gun. The Condor weighs 12 tons in combat condition, with 12 soldiers on board. The Malaysian army also operates 257 Turkish-made 8x8 AV8 vehicles.

In the field of tracked armored vehicles, the Malaysian Army operates 267 Turkish-made ACV-300s and 111 South-Korean-made K-200s. In terms of quantity, the 6X6 type and 4X4 type wheeled armored vehicles are the main ones.

Test and evaluation of contenders to the replacement of the SIBMAS and Condors were conducted in Gwangju and Changwon. The results are expected by February 2022. Along with the 6X6 wheeled armored vehicle tender, a project to introduce 36 4X4 light armored vehicles as a leading vehicle concept is conducted in parallel, and a Korean company is challenging Kovico.

Hyundai Rotem's strongest competitor is Turkey's FNSS. Canadian and Indonesian armored vehicle makers are also entering the competition. One of the characteristics of the Malaysian Army's wheeled armored vehicle contract is that it will be a sub-contractor if an overseas company is selected on the condition of local production.

The 6x6 K806 can reach a maximum road speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) with up to nine fully-armed soldiers on board. It can be configured as an APC, an Armoured Combat Vehicle (ACV) with a 30mm two-man turret, a Medical Evacuation Vehicle (MEV), and a Mobile Gun System (MGS)with a 90mm cannon. Hyundai Rotem's K806 is intended for the regional defense division under the 2nd Operation Command. Some units have already been delivered to the 37th Division, which was first deployed, as well as to the 31st, 32nd, and 39th divisions. The power pack of the K806 is a combination of a 420hp Hyundai H420 engine tuned for military use and a ZF automatic transmission (7 forward speed/1 reverse speed).