Latest news with #Anka
The Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Unmanned edge
IT was a covert operation straight out of a movie. Under the watchful eye of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, an army of long-range aerial drones was loaded into mobile wooden houses, ferried by trucks that stealthily crossed into Russian territory. The plan took almost two years to come to fruition. Then, early last month at several undisclosed locations, the wooden homes' retractable roofs opened. Swarms of Kyiv's drones buzzed into the sky, striking airbases in Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ryazan and Amur in a series of bombing runs. Images of the attacks quickly circulated and Ukrainian security expert Maria Avdeeva famously said: 'This will be in (the) textbooks.' Unsurprisingly, Russia responded swiftly – launching nearly 500 drones into Ukrainian skies to pound strategic military targets on the ground. The Russia-Ukraine war underscores a new era of warfare, one increasingly defined by artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. These technologies are not just complementary tools; they're transforming the battlefield, driven by a philosophy to reduce armed personnel's exposure to danger. In other conflict zones – including Gaza and Sudan – drones and cyber warfare (used, for instance, to disrupt missile trajectories or communications) are becoming increasingly prevalent. While conventional arms and manned vehicles remain critical, robotics and AI now represent a growing edge in military and security strategy – even in South-East Asia, where control over maritime zones, for example, is often a flashpoint. Malaysia, too, is working to keep its defences in step with these shifts. Alongside a recent RM12bil defence spending package – including purchases of Anka drones and missiles – the country is ramping up domestic capabilities in drone technology, cyber warfare, and stealth systems. Previously, it was reported that the ministry saw a 7.08% in increase in defence allocation under the 2025 Budget with RM21.13bil, up from RM19.73bil in 2024. Experts say this upgrading push must also include a multi-domain taskforce model and a clear talent pipeline to ensure long-term sustainability and effectiveness. A forward Stride Far from the spotlight and aptly acronymised, the Science and Technology Research Institute for Defence (Stride) – a government agency based in Selangor – is at the heart of these efforts to enhance the capabilities of Malaysia's armed forces. Stride director-general Nor Azlan Mohd Ramli says the agency is looking to equip the military with robust AI systems and robotics for both aerial and ground operations. 'AI is being explored to improve intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), predictive maintenance, logistics optimisation, and decision-support systems,' he says. Nor Azlan points out that Stride is also advancing autonomous platforms such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) to minimise personnel risk and increase mission success. 'In addition, Stride is strengthening internal capabilities by establishing dedicated AI research units and implementing capacity- building programmes to equip our personnel with the skills required to design, deploy and manage advanced AI systems.' Nor Azlan says the agency islooking to equip the military with robust AI systems and robotics for both aerial and ground operations. — YAP CHEE HONG/The Star As outlined in Malaysia's Defence White Paper, Stride is spearheading efforts to achieve indigenous defence capabilities to enhance national security, self-reliance and technological sovereignty. 'Central to this effort is the development of a dedicated cyber force within the Malaysian Armed Forces, focusing on cyber threat intelligence, defensive and offensive cyber operations, and cybersecurity for operational technology,' Nor Azlan adds. 'We're expanding our portfolio of advanced unmanned systems to improve agility and reduce reliance on imported platforms. This includes modular, AI-capable land platforms, AI-powered UAVs tailored to local environments, and autonomous maritime systems for mine detection and coastal patrols.' And on preparedness against nuclear threats? A security insider put it simply: 'We have the capabilities.' Stronger circuitry Stride is also focused on intelligence-gathering tech. Nor Azlan says the agency is working to strengthen cyberdefence and intelligence capabilities. 'We plan to collaborate with local universities and the Malaysia National AI Office (NAIO) to develop AI-driven cyber threat detection platforms and encrypted communication systems for secure operational connectivity.' In the aerial domain, Stride is pursuing several R&D projects on UAVs for ISR, border monitoring, and tactical missions, all with integrated AI and autonomous functions. This forms part of Stride's broader vision of a self-reliant, agile and multi-domain-capable armed forces – able to counter threats across land, sea, air, cyberspace, and space. 'We are actively developing the integration of AI across military domains to enhance mission effectiveness and reduce operational risk. AI applications in ISR reduce the cognitive load on operators and support faster, more accurate decision-making,' Nor Azlan says. He adds that Malaysia's adoption of AI is grounded in ethics, as laid out in the National AI Roadmap (2021-2025) and aligned with global standards. 'Key principles include human oversight – ensuring critical decisions, especially involving force, remain under human control.' Challenges remain, including talent gaps and institutional readiness. But Nor Azlan believes that with strategic alignment, ethical governance and international partnerships, Malaysia is on track to become a regional model for responsible and effective AI in defence by 2030. The cog Defence today is no longer business as usual; it demands a more dynamic policy cycle, says Dr Muhammad Danial Azman, deputy executive director at Universiti Malaya's International Institute of Public Policy. He says the building of a world-class cyberforce must begin by establishing cyberdefence as a fundamental pillar, alongside land, sea and air. 'The Defence Ministry should set up a Cyber Defence Command on par with Armed Forces Headquarters – with its own budget, training wing, and acquisition unit,' says Danial. Danial says the building of a world-class cyberforce must begin by establishing cyberdefence as a fundamental pillar. — Photo provided This command, he stresses, must have clear career pathways and rank structures to retain cyberoperators in long-term service. 'Reforms should also include a dedicated cybercadet programme, with commissioning courses in threat hunting, incident response, and secure coding. 'We need a permanent cyberrange at Pulada (Army Combat Training Centre) or (national research and development centre) Mimos to run live-fire exercises, red and blue team drills, and joint war games with traditional forces,' he says. A cyberrange is a simulated environment which mirrors real-world cyberattacks and IT world infrastructure. Danial also recommends partnerships with CyberSecurity Malaysia and PETRONAS Digital for staff secondments and intelligence sharing. To grow the talent pipeline, Danial suggests embedding cybersecurity modules in SPM and matriculation syllabi, as well as introducing an accredited Bachelor of Science in Cyber-defence at public universities with compulsory internships at the Defence Ministry. 'Postgraduate scholarships linked to service commitments could also help build capacity in the new cyberdefence command.' Vital requirement AI and cyber capabilities are no longer optional, says Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia's cyber and technology policy programme director Farlina Said. They are necessary. 'As cyber becomes its own theatre of war, AI-driven attacks can paralyse infrastructure and assets. This has been especially visible in Europe, where cyber tools are deployed against digital and physical infrastructure – or used to influence the information space.' Farlina adds that to keep pace, Malaysia must modernise its armed forces in anticipation of current and future threat trends. Farlina says that to keep pace, Malaysia must modernise its armed forces in anticipation of current and future threat trends. — Danial agrees, noting that Malaysia continues to face non-traditional threats such as smuggling, piracy and hybrid coercion – requiring constant surveillance, adaptable littoral patrols and rapid air support. Following the recent defence acquisitions like medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAVs, Danial says it will help bridge gaps in maritime domain awareness, providing 24/7 ISR coverage over the exclusive economic zone. 'Littoral combat ships (LCS) can expand presence in shallow waters for anti-submarine, mine-clearing and boarding ops. 'FA-50 light fighters can support air policing, pilot training and fast-response strikes.' Danial says these align directly with Malaysia's need for layered deterrence and maritime security. However, he stresses that there are several policy innovation challenges that need to be immediately considered, such as the lack of an unmanned-manned integration doctrine for combined UAV-ship-air task groups. 'Existing SOPs are still oriented around Cold War-style service- centric operations. There are also personnel bottlenecks. Pilot and sensor-operator training pipelines for MALE UAVs and FA-50s currently cannot scale at procurement rates. Naval crews are unfamiliar with the new LCS mission systems and maintenance requirements.' The challenges also include issues concerning sustainment and supply chain, in which spares provisioning and commercial- contract arrangements have not been overhauled to support rapid deployment cycles. 'Over-reliance on foreign OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) for after-sales support risks mission pauses in high-tempo scenarios.'
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Yahoo
Ship carrying looted Ukrainian grain impounded in Black Sea
The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) and the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) have impounded a foreign vessel in the Black Sea for illegally transporting Ukrainian agricultural products stolen from temporarily occupied territories to third countries. Source: SSU Details: Sources told Ukrainska Pravda that the vessel in question is called Anka. Ukrainian investigators have determined that the detained vessel is part of Russia's shadow fleet, used for selling stolen Ukrainian grain to third countries. In late 2024, the bulk carrier exported 5,000 tonnes of wheat from the port of Sevastopol, taken from the temporarily occupied territories in Ukraine's south. The SBGS reports that the vessel flew the flag of an Asian country to conceal the cargo's origin. During the search, shipping equipment, ship documentation and other material evidence linking the vessel and its crew to the illegal transport scheme have been seized. The vessel has been impounded and the crew has been detained. A pre-trial investigation is currently underway. Background: Ukraine's National Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) has sold the seized Russian oil tanker Nika Spirit via the electronic auction platform. The tanker was sold for UAH 6.4 million (approximately US$154,000), significantly above its estimated value of UAH 2.4 million (around US$57,400). Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Around 100 tractors join opposition protest in central Turkey
Around 100 tractors blocked roads in central Turkey on Saturday as their drivers joined the latest anti-government protest called by the main opposition CHP. The rally in the central town of Yozgat took place exactly a month after the arrest of Istanbul's popular opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu -- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's biggest political rival. That detention sparked Turkey's worst street protests in a decade and prompted a sharp crackdown by the authorities who detained nearly 2,000 people. Although the initial mass demonstrations tailed off, the government has failed to stamp out the unrest, with ongoing protests by university and high school students, and CHP leader Ozgur Ozel calling weekly rallies across Turkey. Wearing a flat cap, Ozel drove a tractor into Yozgat on Saturday at the head of a long convoy where several thousand flag-waving protesters had rallied in this deeply conservative farming heartland that has long backed Erdogan's Islamic-rooted AKP and its nationalist allies. "Government, resign!" they chanted in footage posted online by several opposition news outlets. "I warn the authorities who see the people of Yozgat as ants and are trying to crush them: we will not let you crush these hard-working farmers!" Ozel told the crowd. - 'Enough is enough' - "The 'despised farmer' and the villager who is ignored will demand an accounting, starting here in Yozgat! The nation's future will be saved by determination and resolve. It's not... those who fear the ballot box who will win, but the people!" he later wrote on X. The jailed mayor's wife Dilek Imamoglu said people wanted change. "The workers, farmers, students, women and men who are building our future ... have said 'enough is enough' in Yozgat today. Millions want a country ruled by justice and law that is united!" she said on X. Last month, around a dozen local farmers were fined for staging a tractor protest over Imamoglu's arrest and the government's roundup of young protesters which has sparked widespread anger. "The government is putting pressure on students but the future of Turkey is the students, right?" one of the tractor drivers told the Anka news agency, without giving his name. "We came here to support each other, we can't afford anything because of hunger and thirst.... Our government should stop being partisan and deal with people's hunger," he said. At the rally, organisers read out a letter from Imamoglu urging support for the opposition's call for early elections. "If the government were to call early elections today, the economy would get back on track," he wrote in a direct appeal to those who voted for Erdogan's AKP or its nationalist MHP ally. hmw/sbk
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Party of jailed Istanbul mayor re-elects its leader
Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) re-elected its party leader Özgür Özel on Sunday, as the CHP seeks to cement its resistance following the arrest of their presidential candidate and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Özel, 50, was re-elected at an an extraordinary party congress by an overwhelming majority of 1,171 of 1,276 ballots cast, reported news agency Anka, which is considered to be close to the opposition. He did not face a challenger. The secular CHP has been at the forefront of anti-government protests that have swept Turkey since İmamoğlu was arrested and removed from office over corruption and terrorism allegations last month. The party has planned weekly protests starting next week despite pressure from authorities. The congress in the capital was followed by a Sunday rally in Ankara in solidarity with İmamoğlu. People had also been out protesting the arrest of the deputy secretary general of the Istanbul city administration, Mahir Polat, local media reported. Polat's lawyer on X called for his client's release, saying his life was in acute danger in custody due to his high blood pressure. The CHP sees the arrests as a government manoeuvre to eliminate a key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and has demanded a snap election. Turkey's next presidential election is scheduled for 2028. Sunday's vote was aimed at preventing the government from appointing a trustee to the party, which is under investigation over allegations that party members were bribed to vote for Özel at a party congress in 2023. Özel and the party deny the charges. Deputy CHP leader Gamze Taşcıer said that a threat to the party still remains despite Özel's re-election on Sunday. İmamoğlu and several aides are accused of corruption and supporting the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). İmamoğlu rejects the allegations as politically motivated. The long-time Islamic conservative leader Erdoğan recently threatened to expose more graft within the CHP and questioned the party's legitimacy.
