Product Evaluation A Neccessity To Qualify For Military Application

Weststar LTV Loading and Towing Test

As in most other countries, military has its stringent evaluation SOP for a new product before it is accepted into the service. For Malaysian Army, such exercise is coordinated and controlled by the Bahagian Penyelidikan dan Penilaian Tentera Darat(BPPTD).

Generally, new products or new variants inevitably must go through BPPTD or also known as the Material Cell, evaluated by a team of technical committee and users and verified by Stride ( the science and technology research division). Product under evaluation will be subjected to long endurance test on-road and off-road, heat stress, mobility test,towing, vibration and other performance tests. The report will then be presented to the Chairman of the Technical committee who is normally Deputy Chief of The Army. Upon positive recommendation by the technical team, the Chairman will endorse a new military specifications for the product, which will be adopted by the military as the technical reference for future purchases of the said or similar variant.

Product evaluation normally takes 3-4 weeks without obligation from either party. The team will observe its long-established test protocol. The principle aim for conducting such evaluation is to learn product reliability. Other aspects include the compatibility, the life cycle cost, service and spare parts readiness,general capabilities, adaptability and value for money.