DSA 2026: Mildef unveils upgraded Tarantula vehicle

Mildef's upgraded Tarantula prototype is displayed at DSA 2026. (Janes/Sohini Mandal)

Malaysian defence company Mildef has unveiled an upgraded variant of its Tarantula high‑mobility armoured vehicle (HMAV) at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2026 exhibition.

Speaking to Janes at the event, held in Kuala Lumpur from 20–23 April, Mildef engineer Ahmad Haziq bin Ahmad Rashidi said the upgraded vehicle is a demonstrator and prototype intended to showcase the company's ability to integrate different weapon systems in line with customer requirements.

The configuration displayed at DSA 2026 is fitted with a Roketsan turret integrating a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun and two OMTAS anti‑tank guided missile launchers. Rashidi said this configuration is being proposed to the Malaysian Army.

Mildef also showcased the Tarantula configuration currently being supplied to the Malaysian Army under a contract for 136 vehicles. Deliveries are scheduled over five years, with the first batch due at the end of 2026. Rashidi added that Mildef is already preparing for mass production.

Rashidi said the in‑service configuration is integrated with subsystems including a 12.7 mm Stabilised Advanced Remote Weapon Platform (SARP) remote‑controlled weapon station, laser warning systems, driver vision systems, a battle management system, and very high frequency (VHF), ultra‑high frequency (UHF), and high frequency (HF) radios.

According to Mildef, the Tarantula platform has a length of 5.9 m, a width of 2.5 m, and a height of 2.5 m. The vehicle has a combat weight of 14 tonnes, a maximum speed of 120 km/h, and a road range of 600 km. It is powered by a six‑cylinder turbocharged diesel engine and provides STANAG Level 2B ballistic and mine protection.

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