(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – Recently, Malaysia Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, while in New York, announced that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey would be visiting the country in December.
For local defense observers, including Defence Security Asia, the question on their minds is whether the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Malaysia-Turkey Defense Cooperation Memorandum will be signed during President Erdogan’s upcoming visit in December.
The answer is yes; it is highly likely that the MoU on defense cooperation between the two countries will be signed during President Erdogan’s visit to Malaysia at the end of the year, barring any obstacles.
Defence Security Asia has been informed by local defense industry players that efforts are indeed underway to prepare the framework for the Malaysia-Turkey Defense Cooperation MoU at this time.
However, progress has been somewhat slow due to claims of unknown parties playing a tug-of-war, delaying agreement on several crucial aspects of the defense MoU.
With the confirmation of Erdogan’s visit to Malaysia in December, it is hoped that this will serve as a catalyst for both parties to expedite the details of the MoU, allowing the leaders of Malaysia and Turkey to sign it by year’s end.
Upon the signing of the defense cooperation MoU, we will gain more detailed information about the Turkish-made military assets that the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) will acquire under this agreement.
The MoU between the two countries may also pave the way for cooperation in the defense industry and technology, further enhancing the capabilities of local defense companies and technologies to compete on the international stage.
During his meeting with the media in New York, the Prime Minister briefly commented on Turkish-made military assets being considered by Malaysia.
He mentioned drones and helicopters and acknowledged Turkey’s specialization and expertise on the field.
However, he deferred the decision to the Malaysian military, stating that they would determine which options are best.
He also mentioned that it would be up to the Ministry of Defense to negotiate with the Ministry of Finance and the relevant government agencies for the procurement of military equipment.
Considering that the Ministry of Defense had already signed a contract to acquire the “ANKA” unmanned aircraft system developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) at the LIMA 2023 exhibition in May, it is uncertain whether the Ministry of Defense is currently considering other Turkish-made drones.
Given that the “ANKA” acquired by the Ministry of Defense is primarily for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) purposes, especially in the South China Sea, are the Defense Ministry is considering “Loitering Munitions” systems like “Kargu” and “Alpagu” or UCAV systems like Bayraktar TB2?
The Turkish defense industry is indeed strong in the unmanned systems sector, and it is good for Malaysia to look to the Mediterranean country for the acquisition of unmanned system assets.
Unmanned assets have been increasingly used in recent conflicts, and Malaysia needs to move in that direction by strengthening its unmanned military assets.
Defence Security Asia also believes that the acquisition of Littoral Mission Ship (LMS) Batch 2 will be one of the highlights of the Defense Cooperation MoU between Malaysia and Turkey to be signed in December.
Furthermore, Defense Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan has already stated in the Dewan Rakyat that the acquisition of LMS Batch 2 will be done on a Government-to-Government (G-to-G) basis.
Turkey is almost certainly a top contender for this, but the question remains whether the corvette design class “Ada” by STM will be chosen or if the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) has other design options from different Turkish shipbuilders.
If the government selects the LMS design from Turkey, what about its armament systems, especially anti-ship guided missiles? Could Malaysia become the first export customer for the “ATMACA” anti-ship guided missile?
The acquisition of LMS Batch 2 for the RMN is becoming increasingly important due to various issues plaguing the construction program of the five Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), which now amounts to RM11 billion in total.
Regarding the helicopters mentioned by the Prime Minister when asked by reporters in New York, will there be any agreements involving the acquisition of any helicopters developed by the Turkish defense industry, such as the utility helicopter “Gokbey” or the light attack helicopter “ATAK” or the heavy attack helicopter “ATAK-2” currently being developed by TAI?
Defence Security Asia has also been informed that several Malaysian companies are promoting the Turkish-made Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), especially ROKETSAN, to the Army. — DSA
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