LANGKAWI: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today launched ‘RIBAT’, the first High Mobility Light Tactical Vehicle (HMLTV) designed and fully built by local company Mildef International Technologies Sdn Bhd (MILDEF).
The launch was held in conjunction with the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2025 (LIMA’25) at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre (MIEC).
More interestingly, RIBAT was named by the Prime Minister himself, which carries high symbolic value and refers to the spirit of guarding and defending the country based on faith, patriotism and technology.
RIBAT refers to the practice of guarding and controlling the border to defend the safety of the people. It symbolises preparedness, courage and the spirit of sacrifice for the sake of the country.
At the event, Anwar witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between MILDEF and major Indonesian defence company PT PINDAD, and the collaboration is set to open up opportunities for exports, technology transfer and system integration between the two regional nations.
The Prime Minister also witnessed the inking of the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between MILDEF and the Defence Science and Technology Research Institute (STRIDE), which is a prominent research agency under the Ministry of Defence.
The MoA is aimed at focusing efforts on the development of two more tactical vehicle platforms that will be fully designed domestically.
At the agreement signing, MILDEF was represented by its managing director Datuk Seri Mohd Nizam Kasa; PT PINDAD by Sigit Puji Santosa; and STRIDE by Ministry of Defence secretary-general Datuk Lokman Hakim Ali.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and Malaysian Armed Forces chief Gen Datuk Mohd Nizam Jaffar also witnessed the signing of the agreement.
Meanwhile, MILDEF said in a statement that the launch solidified its position as the country’s leading land defence industry, thus making it the first producer of national tactical armoured vehicles to successfully penetrate the regional and international markets.
MILDEF added that RIBAT was developed by local engineers with the support of industrial-grade engineering facilities in Seremban and Sepang, in addition to being equipped with a modular ballistic protection system and designed for missions such as patrols, convoys and special operations.
Mohd Nizam said the launch of RIBAT not only illustrated the capability of the local industry but is also a manifestation of the success of the government’s policy in empowering a self-reliant and high-impact defence ecosystem.
“RIBAT is the result of local innovation, which proves that Malaysia is not only capable of being a user of defence systems but also a creator of strategic technology trusted by both the government and the global community,” he said.
Since its establishment in 2005, MILDEF has grown from a group of young engineers to become a key player in the national defence industry with its success in building various assets, such as the high mobility armoured vehicle (HMAV) Tarantula, the Rentaka 4x4 and now the HMLTV RIBAT.
