Malaysia has taken delivery of the first six of 18 105 mm LG1 light towed artillery systems ordered in 2018 from French defence company Nexter.

The air-portable guns, which were delivered in kit form in early February to Nexter’s Malaysian partner, Advanced Defence Systems (ADS), are currently being assembled in the southern state of Johor ahead of delivery to the Malaysian Army, a defence official told Jane’s on 9 March.

All 18 artillery pieces were originally expected to be handed over to ADS by February 2020, but deliveries were delayed, as the Malaysian government that took over following the May 2018 general election ordered a review of defence contracts signed by the previous administration.

As a result, the contract for the LG1 howitzers was re-approved earlier this year following the review, with the remaining 12 guns now expected to be delivered to ADS in two batches later this year.

The LG1 howitzers will be operated by the Malaysian Army’s 1st Royal Artillery Regiment, which currently fields Oto Melara Model 56 105 mm pack howitzers. Six other artillery regiments are also equipped with these Oto Melara guns, of which about 100 units are estimated to be in service.

The contract for the guns was signed on 18 April 2018 at the Defence Services Asia exhibition in Kuala Lumpur.

The contract includes the supply of fully digitised 105 LG1 Mk III Light Guns, the BACARA compact portable ballistic computer (for use at battery level), as well as a first batch of 105 mm high-explosive, base-bleed, extended-range G3 ammunition (105 mm HE BB ER G3), which can be fired to a range of up to 17 km.

Nexter LG1

The LG1 howitzer is a 105 mm towed artillery piece that features both low weight and a high level of accuracy over long distances. Its lightweight construction gives the barrel a relatively short lifespan. The equivalent full charge (EFC) count is suggested to be approximately 7,500; however, during fire and practice, has yielded only around 1,500 EFCs. The gun was specifically designed for use by rapid deployment forces with attributes such as ruggedness, ease of operation and reduced weight. It can fire all NATO standard 105 mm ammunition up to a range of 18.5 and 19.5 kilometres (11.5 and 12.1 mi) using HE-ER G2 and US M913 rounds.

The gun has been used by the Belgian Army, Canadian Army, Colombian National Army, Indonesian Army, Singapore Army and the Royal Thai Army.

Current service version with Canadian artillery is the LG1 Mark II, of which 28 were purchased for the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (RCHA). Giat supplied the first howitzers in 1996 and fielding was complete by November 1997.

Specifications

Mass	1,520 kg (3,350 lb)
Barrel Length	3.15 m (10 ft 4 in)
Crew	5
Shell	105 mm NATO
Breech	Horizontal-block
Carriage	Split trail
Elevation	-3°/+70°
Traverse	±25° from centerline
Rate of Fire	12 rounds per minute
Maximum Firing Range	19.5 kilometres (12.1 mi)

Source: Jane’s