page_title: DefTech AV8
section_title: Development
hierarchical_section_title: DefTech AV8 / Development
caption_attribution_description: Malaysian Army AV-8 Gempita during 2019 Independence Day rehearsal.jpg
context_page_description: The DefTech AV8 Gempita is an amphibious multirole armoured vehicle developed by Malaysian defence company DefTech with the assistance of Turkey defence company FNSS. The Gempita resembles some of the Turkey FNSS Pars design and technology. The vehicle has a modular design which allows the fitting of different turrets, weapons, sensors, and communications systems on the same vehicle. The vehicle has 12 variants, including the armoured personnel carrier, infantry fighting vehicle, tank destroyer, signals intelligence vehicle and recovery vehicles. It is manufactured by DefTech in Pahang, Malaysia.
context_section_description: In June 2011, the Turkish Company FNSS signed a ‘letter of offer and acceptance’ by DRB-Hicom Defence Technologies (DefTech) for the assistance of design and development of the vehicles. The AV8 vehicle selected by the Malaysian military was based on the technology of FNSS-designed Pars 8×8 multi-purpose, multi-mission, wheeled armoured vehicle. The contract included technology transfer arrangements to Deftech and logistics support for the Malaysian army, positioning the vehicle and its 12 variants to become Malaysia’s first indigenous family of 8×8 armoured wheeled vehicle.
  In April 2012, DefTech and FNSS presented the first scale model of the AV8 at the international defence exhibition, Defence Services Asia 2012 in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia’s DefTech will be the principal manufacturer agent, and its engineers will work with Nurol holding subsidiary FNSS to customise the vehicles for Malaysian requirements and equipment. South Africa’s Denel will reportedly build a 2-man turret for the APC, while Sapura-Thales was expected to become the systems integrator. The first prototype of the AV8 was presented in March 2013 to the public during the 80th Army Day anniversary celebration in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.
  In April 2014, DefTech announced that the first 12 vehicles would start production in June 2014 and be delivered to the Malaysian Army by end of 2014. DefTech CEO Amril Samsudin also said that DefTech has received contracts from regional countries, like the test of some vehicle by Saudi armed forces.
  In December 2014, the AV8 was officially inducted into service with the Malaysian Army in a ceremony at the DefTech plant in Pekan. This delivery of the first 12 units represents a significant milestone in the AV8 programme
caption: AV-8 Gempita of the Malaysian Army in latest digital camouflage