Malaysia conducted a firing of its Thales Starstreak Next Generation (NG) surface-to-air missiles on 25 October at the Tanjung Logok Ground-to-Air Firing Range in Johor, as part of acceptance trials for the weapon system.
These trials formed part of the Army Air Defence Artillery Group’s week long Exercise Panah Jaguh, held twice a year in March and October. Occasionally open to the media, this iteration was closed likely due to Starstreak NG acceptance trials being carried out in the exercise.
The Royal Malaysian Navy’s Twitter account posted a photo of the Starstreak NG being fired from a Lightweight Multiple Launcher (LML). With Starstreak RapidRover and RapidRanger variants also present at the exercise, firing from these platforms likely occurred as well.
The targets used were probably the Meggitt BTT-3 Banshee drone, for which Malaysian company Aerotree has a target services contract that includes the provision and use of Banshees.
Malaysia ordered an undisclosed number of launchers in LML, RapidRover and RapidRanger configurations in 2015 in a deal worth approximately $130 million. Shephard understands that six RapidRanger systems mounted on URO VAMTAC 4x4 vehicles formed part of the contract.
Malaysia’s RapidRover configuration is an LML mounted on a Global Komited GKM1 4x4 vehicle.
Malaysia previously carried out firings of earlier Starstreak HVM missiles as part of initial training on the system in March 2016. As part of the contract, Malaysia’s remaining stock of Starburst missiles (the last of which were phased out in 2013) were exchanged for HVM missiles.
The Starstreak NG will equip the Malaysian Army’s 32nd Royal Artillery Regiment, the Royal Malaysian Navy’s Base Air Defence Unit and the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s 401 Ground-Based Air Defence Squadron. The former is expected to operate all three configurations, while the other two services will operate RapidRover and LML configurations.
(Shephard)