China Dominates DSA 2026 in Kuala Lumpur: Beijing’s Biggest-Ever Defence Presence Signals Expanding Military Influence Across Asia

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – Chinese defence and security companies have emerged as the largest participants at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) and National Security (NATSEC) Asia 2026 exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, which begins today and runs until April 23.

According to Malaysian Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, the biennial exhibition being held at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) has brought together 1,456 companies from 63 countries, an increase from 1,324 companies representing 60 countries at the 2024 edition.

“The countries submitting the largest participation this time are the Republic of Türkiye, China, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Italy, the United States (US), India and also the Republic of Korea).

“In terms of pavilion size, China recorded the largest participation with 192 companies, followed by Türkiye (87) and the US (83), in addition to five new pavilions from Croatia, Finland, Hungary, Japan and Russia,” he said.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will officially open the exhibition today.

Among the Chinese defence and security companies participating in DSA 2026 are Poly Technologies Inc and China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), which are showcasing a wide range of products manufactured by their companies.

This year’s edition of DSA will feature 37 national pavilions compared to 38 at the previous edition following Iran’s last-minute withdrawal.

He said Tehran’s withdrawal was not due to political factors, but rather operational difficulties including the movement and shipment of assets.

“Iran had initially expressed its readiness to participate, but this time companies from the country withdrew because of the challenges they faced.

“If they want to move or ship products, there are certainly difficulties, including issues related to the Strait of Hormuz and other matters affecting their logistics,” he said.

According to the Defence Minister, the organisation of the 19th edition of DSA proves that it remains strong as an open and neutral platform despite the uncertain global environment and conflicts in West Asia.

Mohamed Khaled made the remarks at a press conference after inspecting the exhibition’s final preparations.

Also present were Malaysian Armed Forces Chief General Datuk Malek Razak Sulaiman, Royal Malaysian Navy Chief Admiral Tan Sri Dr Zulhelmy Ithnain and Royal Malaysian Air Force Chief General Datuk Seri Muhamad Norazlan Aris.

Major defence companies that have confirmed their participation include DEFTECH, ASELSAN, Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc., MILKOR, FNSS Savunma Sistemleri, Team Defence Australia, Airbus Group, BrahMos, Beretta Defense Technologies (BDT), Weststar Defence Industries and Matra BAE Dynamics Alenia (MBDA).

Also participating in the exhibition are Mindmatics, Hyundai WIA Corp, Kongsberg, ATLA Japan MOD, LIG Nex1, Glenair Inc, Fincantieri, Nurol Makina, HAVELSAN, CANiK Arms, FN Herstal and Naval Group.

Meanwhile, JSC ROSOBORONEXPORT (part of Russia’s Rostec State Corporation) will also organise the joint Russian exposition at DSA 2026.

“ROSOBORONEXPORT is proud to present Russian defence products in Malaysia, a country which enjoys strong economic, cultural, scientific and technological ties with our country.

“We are optimistic about the development of bilateral military-technical cooperation and are ready to continue equipping the Malaysian Armed Forces with the most advanced systems to strengthen national sovereignty and defence capability,” said ROSOBORONEXPORT Director General Alexander Mikheev in a statement to Defence Security Asia.

“At DSA 2026, ROSOBORONEXPORT will showcase Russia’s latest products that have been tested under real conditions and have proven their combat and operational characteristics.

“These include the fifth-generation Su-57E fighter aircraft, which we are prepared to supply only to Russia’s trusted partners, as well as loitering munitions and UAVs.”

In terms of scale and the number of exhibitors, DSA is among the largest arms and military equipment exhibitions in the world.

In recent years, the exhibition has become one of the most important defence events in the Asia-Pacific region.

The advanced Su-57E fifth-generation multirole fighter aircraft is the main exhibit at the ROSOBORONEXPORT stand.

It possesses real combat experience, including the use of long-range air-to-air and air-to-surface guided missiles in dense air defence and electronic countermeasures (ECM) environments.

In the UAV sector, ROSOBORONEXPORT will present both reconnaissance systems and loitering munitions that have accumulated the broadest operational experience to date.

These include the short-range S350M-E (Supercam S350) UAV system, the Lancet-E reconnaissance and strike system developed by ZALA, the KUB-2E guided loitering munition system, the RUS-PE reconnaissance-and-strike system, and the Skat 350M reconnaissance UAV, all of which are developed and produced by the Kalashnikov Group.

At the stand of the Special Technology Center, which forms part of the joint Russian exposition, ROSOBORONEXPORT will present partner delegations with the multifunctional Orlan-10E and Orlan-30 UAV systems, which are currently being used successfully in more than 20 countries.

In the small arms segment, ROSOBORONEXPORT will display the 9mm Lebedev pistol, the PPK-20 submachine gun, the latest line of Kalashnikov assault rifles including the AK-15, AK-19 and AK-308, the RPL-20 belt-fed light machine gun, the Chukavin SVCh sniper rifle, as well as the ORSIS T-5000 carbine.

The company will also offer a wide range of equipment for special operations personnel.

These include the Neptune-1 positive-buoyancy body armour, the DHF 4-28×56 Harrier smart daylight optic, thermal imaging sights and surveillance devices, as well as the ANTISVID-2N electro-optical device.

Echo, Russia’s solution for countering modern cyberattacks, will be introduced for the first time in the cyber security zone.

In addition, ROSOBORONEXPORT will display various inspection and screening systems as well as security equipment intended for use at transport hubs, crowded public areas and protected facilities.

These include portable detectors for explosives, narcotics, and hazardous chemical and biological agents.

ROSOBORONEXPORT’s business programme at DSA 2026 includes meetings with delegations from the Malaysian Ministry of Defence and other law enforcement agencies, as well as Russia-friendly countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

In addition, negotiations are planned with representatives of public and private companies to expand defence technology cooperation projects with Russian enterprises.