The Royal Armoured Corps or ''Kor Armor Diraja'' (KAD) is the

armoured forces Armoured warfare or armored warfare (mechanized forces, armoured forces or armored forces) (American English; see spelling differences), is the use of armored fighting vehicles in modern warfare. It is a major component of modern methods of ...

of the

Malaysian Army The Malaysian Army ( ms, Tentera Darat Malaysia; Jawi: تنترا دارت مليسيا) is the land component of the Malaysian Armed Forces. Steeped in British Army traditions, the Malaysian Army does not carry the title ‘royal’ () as do th ...

. The Royal Malaysian Armoured Corps have had its beginning with two army units formed by the British Administration headed by General Sir

Gerald Templer Field Marshal Sir Gerald Walter Robert Templer, (11 September 1898 – 25 October 1979) was a senior British Army officer. He fought in both the world wars and took part in the crushing of the Arab Revolt in Palestine. As Chief of the Imperia ...

who had initiated the formation during the

Malayan Emergency The Malayan Emergency, also known as the Anti–British National Liberation War was a guerrilla war fought in British Malaya between communist pro-independence fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) and the military forces o ...

. On 1 September 1952, the 1st Battalion Federation Regiment (Affiliated to

Royal Irish Fusiliers The Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's) was an Irish line infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of the 87th (Prince of Wales's Irish) Regiment of Foot and the 89th (Princess Victoria's) Regiment of Foot in ...

) and the Federation Armoured Car Regiment (Affiliated to 13th/18th

Royal Hussars The Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed by the amalgamation of the 10th Royal Hussars and the 11th Hussars in 1969 and it amalgamated with the 14th/20th King's Hussars to form the King's ...

(QMO) now known as

The Light Dragoons The Light Dragoons (LD) is a cavalry regiment in the British Army. The regiment has a light cavalry role and specialises in mounted and dismounted reconnaissance. The Light Dragoons recruit mainly in Northern England, from the counties of Northu ...

) was also formed. Both regiments were the first multi-racial infantry and armoured units in Malaya. The Federation Regiment and The Federation Armoured Car Regiment were merged on 1 January 1960 to form the Federation Reconnaissance Corps. Units under the Corps on its formation were the 1st Regiment Federation Reconnaissance Corps and the 2nd Regiment Federation Reconnaissance Corps, better known as 1 Recce and 2 Recce respectively, and in Malay they were known as (1 Peninjau) and (2 Peninjau). Both units were equipped with scout cars namely the Ferret scout car, Daimler scout car and other British made armoured cars.

Malayan Special Force in Congo

Both 1 Recce and 2 Recce served with the Malayan Special Force (MSF) under UN Command in the Congo. For its sterling service, the Regiment was given its Royal colours on 23 March 1963. With the formation of Malaysia, the regiment once again was renamed the Malaysian Reconnaissance Regiment. The 3rd Reconnaissance Regiment was formed by merging the 1st Independent Reconnaissance

Squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...

with the “D” Squadrons from 1 Recce and 2 Recce. The regiment was bestowed the “Royal” title on 20 May 1972, and thence called Royal Reconnaissance Regiment. With the re-alignment of its role and equipment, the regiment changed its name to Royal Cavalry Corps on 22 September 1979, and in 1986 was again renamed Royal Armoured Corps.

Armoured Squadron (Para)

A specialised

Parachute A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...

Armoured

was formed on 12 September 1992 to equip the newly establish Rapid Deployment Force ( Pasukan Aturgerak Cepat) centred on 10th Brigade Paratroopers. Members of the

parachute A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...

Armoured Squadron are jump qualified. This squadron is equipped with Alvis Scorpion 90 light tank armed with 90 mm gun.

Armour Training Centre

Armoured warfare Armoured warfare or armored warfare (mechanized forces, armoured forces or armored forces) (American English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences), is the use of armoured fighting vehicle, armo ...

training is undertaken at the Armour Training Centre at ''Sebatang Karah'' Camp in

Port Dickson Port Dickson (Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Podeksen'', Jawi: ) is a beach resort in Port Dickson District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. It is the second largest urban area in Negeri Sembilan after Seremban, its state capital. The town's adminis ...

. Exchanges are made with friendly countries such as The

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

Ceremonial Mounted Squadron

The formation of the Ceremonial Mounted Squadron (Skuadron Istiadat Berkuda) added another milestone to the history of the Armoured Corps, the national tourism industry and the development of the national equestrian sports. The idea was mooted by then Prime Minister Dato' Seri Mahathir Mohamad. With the formation of this unit, it becomes the third uniformed organisation after the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL). The Ceremonial Mounted Squadron was officially launched on 13 May 1997 by the then Minister of Defence Dato' Syed Hamid Albar bin Syed Jaafar Albar. On this historical day, the mounted squadron was officially designated as Ceremonial Mounted Squadron, Royal Armoured Corps (SIB). The main camp is in Sungai Buloh, Selangor. With the formation of this unit, it is expected to play a significant roles in all national ceremonial functions involving His Majesty the King (SPB YDP Agong) during the State Opening of Parliament, National Day Parade, Trooping of the Colours for the King's Birthday and state visits by heads of state to Malaysia. Presently, priorities is given to train the horsemen in horse riding and horse handling, parade formalities and to prepare them for the future roles as the mounted palace guards. The squadron's present strength is 6 officers including a veterinarian and 97 other ranks. The present strength will be increased in the near future in line with the present demand to perform the ceremonial duties at the Istana Negara. A year after the official launching of the unit, on 3 November 1998 the unit undertake its first task as a Mounted Static Guard at the main entrance of the Istana Negara. In the long term, the squadron will be expanded to a regiment which brings all the existing Regalia Group under one command and control. The existing Regalia Group comprises the following: * Dismounted Lancers Guard * Sovereign's Escort ** Mounted Escort ** Motorized Escort and Outriders * Mounted Ceremonial Troop * Squadron Trumpeters * Central Band of the Royal Armoured Corps * Vehicle Section Generally the uniform worn by the horsemen has some similarity with the present dress of the Lancers Guard and the Sovereign Escort. The design of the dress is a continuity of the original ceremonial dress of the Reconnaissance Regiment worn during the formation of the Armoured Corps. The ceremonial jacket of the mounted unit is red in colour with black riding breeches with double gold braide on both sides of the breeches. The dress is specially design for the horsemen to perform duties on horseback armed with the Cavalry Sabre and ceremonial lances. The personnel of the squadron are carefully picked and must comply to the specific criteria laid by the Armoured Directorate. The horses purchased for the squadron is specially selected by the expect, the type and breed must be able to acclimatise the local weather conditions and able to perform specific ceremonial duties with ease. All technical requirement of the horses is clearly mentioned in the General Staff Requirement (GSR) produced by the unit. If motorized, squadron personnel only carry sabres or only use pistols. The first Officer Commanding of the unit was Major Ahmad Fakharuzi Hj Ibrahim (now a retired Lieutenant Colonel) and the first Squadron Sergeant Major is Warrant Officer 2 Manivanan Nadison. The Motto of the unit is : (Determined and Excellent) (''Pervicax quod Praeclarus''). The spirit of the squadron is: Ride to Serve and Proud To Be Above. The MCS took over the ceremonial role of Horse Guards in the current Istana Negara in 2011.

UNPROFOR and SFOR

Royal Armoured Corps units were a component of the Malaysian contingent under the

UNPROFOR The United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR; also known by its French acronym FORPRONU: ''Force de Protection des Nations Unies'') was the first United Nations peacekeeping force in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav War ...

and

SFOR The Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFOR) was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina after the Bosnian war. Although SFOR was led by NATO, several non-NATO countries contributed troops. It ...

missions in

Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...

, serving under UN Command and later NATO command. The 3rd Regiment Armour (3 Armor) serving as MALBATT I (Malaysian Battalion I) under UNPROFOR monitored the disarming of the opposing factions and enforcing the ceasefire in Bosnia in 1993. The unit was later relieved by 2nd Regiment Armour (2 Armor) as MALBATT II in 1994–1995. The 4th Regiment Armour (4 Armor) served as MATBATT IV and MALCON I (Malaysian Contingent I) under IFOR. 2 Armor was involved in this Bosnia mission again in 1997. The mission continued until 1998.

Inventory

5 Armoured Regiments 1 (Mounted) Ceremonial Battalion * 48 - PT-91M

Main Battle Tank A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension sys ...

* 15 - PT-91M based support vehicles:- ::6x WZT-4 armoured recovery vehicle ::3x MID-M engineering tank ::5x PMC Leguan - armoured vehicle-launched bridge ::1x SJ-09 driver training tank *267 X

ACV 300 ACV may refer to: Companies and organizations * Air Charter Service, UK, ICAO code ACV * Asser Christelijke Voetbalvereniging ( en, Assen Christian Football Club), a Dutch amateur football club * Associated Commercial Vehicles, a former vehicle ma ...

of the following variants in service: :: 72 IFV with the

M2 Browning machine gun The M2 machine gun or Browning .50 caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. Its design is similar to Browning's earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, w ...

in a one-man turret :: 31 IFV with the Sharpshooter one-man turret co-developed by FNSS and

BAE Systems BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenues. ...

, armed with a 25mm

M242 Bushmaster The M242 Bushmaster chain gun is a 25 mm (25×137mm) single-barrel chain-driven autocannon. It is used extensively by the U.S. military, such as in the Bradley fighting vehicle, as well as by other NATO members and some other nations in ground ...

chain gun :: 25 ambulance vehicles :: 24 command vehicles :: 13 signal vehicles with additional communication equipment :: 13 IFV with the

Mk 19 grenade launcher The Mk 19 grenade launcher (pronounced Mark 19) is an American 40 mm belt-fed automatic grenade launcher that was first developed during the Vietnam War. Overview The Mk 19 is a belt-fed, blowback-operated, air-cooled, crew-serve ...

in a one-man turret :: 10 vehicles armed with an 81 mm mortar :: 8 vehicles armed with the

i Baktar Shikan anti-tank guided missile. :: 8+7

armoured recovery vehicle An armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) is typically a powerful tank or armoured personnel carrier (APC) chassis modified for use during combat for military vehicle recovery (towing) or repair of battle-damaged, stuck, and/or inoperable armoured f ...

s * 111 X

K200 KIFV The K200 KIFV (Korea Infantry Fighting Vehicle) is a South Korean armored personnel carrier, originally produced by Daewoo Heavy Industries as a domestic replacement for older armored personnel carriers, such as the M113, in front line servic ...

* 80 X

Bv206 Bandvagn 206 (Bv 206) (meaning ''"Tracked Vehicle 206"'' in English) is a tracked articulated, all-terrain carrier developed by Hägglunds (now part of BAE Systems Platforms & Services) for the Swedish Army. It consists of two units, with all f ...

ATVs * 257 X AV8 Gempita

FNSS Defence Systems FNSS Savunma Sistemleri A.Ş. ( en, FNSS Defence Systems A.Ş.) is a Turkish defense manufacturer founded in 1988. It is owned 51% by Nurol Holding of Turkey and 49% by British–American firm BAE Systems Inc., and operates facilities located i ...

& DefTech (8x8) * 186 X Sibmas 90 AFSV (6x6) * 460 X Radpanzer

Condor APC The Condor is a Four-wheel drive, 4×4 wheeled armoured personnel carrier originally designed by Thyssen-Henschel of Germany and manufactured by Henschel Wehrtechnik GmbH. The first prototype was completed in 1978. The Condor was designed as a suc ...

(4x4)

Armour Museum

The Armoured Corps Museum is located in Sungala Camp, Jalan Sua Betong, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan. The late Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah Ibni Al-Marhum Al-Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, the Sultan of Terengganu, launched the museum on 4 September 1993. He was also then the Colonel-in-chief for the Royal Armoured Corps. The museum aims to store for reference historical documents and artefacts of the Royal Armoured Corps, which has its Corps Home at the 2nd Royal Armoured Regiment, Sunggala Camp, Port Dickson.

Recent news

It celebrated its golden jubilee in 2002 with the Malaysian King and Queen gracing the occasion.New Straits Times (Malaysia), King, Queen grace golden jubilee bash, p.4, New Straits Times (Malaysia),23 September 2002

Alliances

* -

; 2nd Regt

References

External links

{{Malaysian Army Malaysia Army corps and regiments Military units and formations established in 1952 1986 establishments in Malaysia Malaysian monarchy