U.S. Delivers Three Upgraded CN-235-220 MSA Variant to Royal Malaysian Air Force

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — The United States Government has officially handed over three CN-235-220M aircraft belonging to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) after the completion of works to upgrade the aircrafts to the Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) variant.

The handover ceremony of the modified CN-235-200M MSA to RMAF Chief  General Tan Sri Mohd Asghar Goriman Khan by the U.S. government represented by its ambassador to Malaysia, Edgard D. Kagan, took place at Subang Air Base today.

According to a social media statement from the RMAF, the upgrade of the CN-235-220M aircraft to the MSA variant was carried out under the ‘Maritime Security Initiative (MSI)’, a program funded by the U.S.

The MSI is to assist allied nations in enhancing their maritime surveillance capabilities, including in their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) which are frequently infringed upon by foreign enforcement vessels.

The upgrade program began in 2018 and concluded in 2023.

 

“Three CN235-220M aircraft from No 1 Squadron, upgraded to the MSA specification, were progressively sent to PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI), the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), for the upgrades.” the statement said.

“With this upgrade, the CN235-220M aircraft, previously used as transport planes, are now capable of performing Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, significantly enhancing the RMAF’s ability to safeguard the sovereignty and security of the nation’s waters,” the statement said.

As a symbolic gesture during the ceremony, the U.S. ambassador to Malaysia presented a “Universal Hand Control Unit (UHCU) EO/IR MSA” to the RMAF Chief.

The MSI program aims to bolster Malaysia’s maritime security and monitoring capabilities within its EEZ.

PTDI reportedly collaborated with Integrated Surveillance and Defense, Inc (ISD) based in Wilsonville, Oregon, USA, to supply and integrate the Mission Management Systems (MMS) for the three TUDM-owned CN235-220 aircraft.

 

These systems, installed on the aircraft, include Forward Looking Infra Red (FLIR) and a Belly Radome equipped with a 360-degree Search Radar capable of detecting small targets up to 200 Nautical Miles.

Additionally, the aircraft are equipped with an Automatic Identification System (AIS), an automatic tracking system for identifying ships, enabling them to pinpoint the positions of suspicious objects.

In April, Brigadier General Gent Welsh of the Washington Air National Guard, USAF, visited Kuching Air Base to closely inspect the TUDM’s CN235-220M aircraft upgraded to the MSA variant. — DSA