MaxDefense previously explained that the said vehicle was stuck in the Bureau of Customs (BOC) custody since March 2018 due to failure by the Philippine Army to pay the required customs duties for the vehicle, which was donated by Kia Motors of South Korea. And aside from this vehicle, there are 2 more KLTVs coming in together with deliveries of trucks ordered by the Philippine Marine Corps.
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| The Kia KLTV141 Armored Weapons Carrier Vehicle variant. Credits to owner of photo. |
After 2 months, finally the Philippine Army will be getting the KLTV141 Armored Weapons Carrier vehicle released from the BOC's custody and be used for evaluation.
MaxDefense sources confirmed that the Philippine Army has finally made the necessary steps to pay the customs duties to release the vehicle in their favour.
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| The 1st Kia KLTV delivered to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, as seen in ASCOM's compound a few days before the Philippine Army anniversary last March 2018. This same vehicle was still in the custody of the Bureau of Customs lately, and was only allowed to be released to join the Army Day celebrations for a week. Photo credited to Louie Barth, who posted this on Facebook. |
According to MaxDefense sources, the said KLTV141 Armored Weapons Carrier was donated by Kia Motors to the Philippine Army for their use, and in effect allow them to evaluate the vehicle. This is because the Philippine Army has an acquisition in line for similar vehicles.
Acquisition of Light Tactical Vehicles:
It would be noted that the Philippine Army and the Philippine Marine Corps are both planning to acquire Armoured Light Tactical Vehicles as part of the Revised AFP Modernization Program's Horizon 2 phase.
The Philippine Army is looking to acquire 200 vehicles, while the Philippine Marine Corps is looking for 60 vehicles.
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| The Kia KLTV141 as seen in custody of the Bureau of Customs while awaiting the Philippine Army to claim it. The photo was just quickly taken, thus the incompleteness. Credits to our source who exclusively shared this to MaxDefense. |
These vehicles are meant for use in combat areas, or as escort vehicles for military convoys. And because they are cheaper than proper armoured vehicles, they can be acquired in volume for a variety of missions that require the extra protection of the crew. In this case, the lessons of the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps over the years may have allowed them to prioritize the acquisition of such vehicles instead of relying on non-armoured Kia K450 utility vehicles and larger Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC).
The introduction of armoured LTVs allows the PA and PMC to release their wheeled APCs like the Simba 4x4 and V-150 4x4 armoured vehicles from escort and outpost duties, and instead be used as a proper combat vehicle with the mechanized and infantry units in combat operations.
The introduction of LTVs also allow the PA and PMC to use them as pseudo-APC for smaller scale operations, or as reconnaissance vehicles for larger mechanized formations. Its light weight means it can be deployed quickly to combat operations anywhere in the country via tactical transport aircraft assets of the Philippine Air Force.
According to our sources, the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps Technical Working Group (TWG) are still formulating the final Technical Specifications for the vehicles, and it is usual for these groups to use a preferred vehicle of choice in the formulation of the TechSpecs. In this case, since the KLTV is in their ownership and custody, Kia Motor's chances of being used as the base specs of the LTV acquisition project means they are at an advantage of winning the project too.
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| An M1114 Armored Humvee leads a platoon of combat police officers from the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force during the Zamboanga City crisis in 2013. Credits to owner of the photo. |
The Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force are not new to armoured tactical combat vehicles, as both use the AM General Armored Humvee in their arsenal. The PA has both purpose built M1114 armored models, and upgraded armored units built from unarmored M1025 Humvee models, while the PNP-SAF received several M1114 Humvees previously used by the US Joint Special Operations Group - Philippines. MaxDefense believes that the Philippine Army is considering the acquisition of more M1114 from US Excess Defense Articles in the coming years.
MaxDefense will discuss more about the Light Tactical Vehicle Acquisition Project of the Philippine Army, and the Tactical Combat Vehicle Acquisition Project of the Philippine Marine Corps in future blogs, as more information becomes available.
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| A Kia KLTV182 Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle was displayed by Kia Motors during ADAS 2016, seen here with an raised rear compartment for essential missions. Photo taken by Steel Bamboo and shared to MaxDefense. |
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