LAEM CHABANG (Thailand): Malaysia's Weststar LDV Sdn Bhd has joined forces with RM Asia Group to develop a light tactical vehicle (LTV) that is capable of quick response for the army.

Its managing director, Datuk Seri Syed Azman Syed Ibrahim, said the vehicles, to be produced at a plant here, were cheaper than those from other parts of the world due to the lower production cost.

He said seven units had been delivered to the Malaysian armed forces for trials, adding that the prototype vehicles took 15 months to develop and produce.

The prototype vehicles were presented to Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak during his visit to the plant recently.

Syed Azman said the plant, with a workforce of 1,000, was capable of producing about 15,000 units annually.


RM Asia supplies and services emergency vehicles (fire trucks and ambulances).

Weststar LDV, a subsidiary of the Weststar Group, entered into an agreement with the LDV Group Ltd of Birmingham, an independent van specialist, last year to manufacture the LDV Maxus range of commercial vehicles in Malaysia.

On the group's expansion plan, Syed Azman said its aviation division would purchase four more helicopters by 2010 to beef up its fleet of six. -- Bernama