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Focus Malaysia
17-07-2025
- Business
- Focus Malaysia
Eyes in the sky: Strengthening Malaysia's defence with AI and drones
AS THE Indo-Pacific region experiences growing instability driven by great power competition, especially in the South China Sea, Malaysia must adapt its defence strategy to respond to emerging threats. Rather than pursuing costly conventional weapons, Malaysia has a unique opportunity to enhance its military readiness through the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and drone technology. This dual strategy provides a cost-effective, agile, and non-escalatory means of securing national interests while preserving its diplomatic neutrality and regional credibility. Malaysia's defence focus has already begun shifting toward unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In 2025, the Royal Malaysian Air Force acquired three Turkish-made Anka-S drones i.e., medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAVs equipped with synthetic aperture radar, electro-optical/infrared sensors, and secure satellite communications. Stationed in Labuan, these drones are unarmed and used primarily for surveillance over Malaysia's Exclusive Economic Zone. This approach allows Malaysia to assert maritime sovereignty, especially in disputed waters, without provoking regional tensions. Malaysia is also working to localise drone development by collaborating with nations such as South Korea and China, while developing domestic UAV production capabilities through partnerships with universities and technical institutions. The goal is to manufacture thousands of drones annually, integrating them into both civilian and military uses. However, drones alone are not enough. The real transformative potential lies in integrating AI into military operations. AI-driven systems can process vast streams of sensor data in real time, enabling rapid detection, classification, and response to potential threats. These include identifying hostile vessels or aircraft, tracking illegal fishing, or detecting suspicious maritime activity. AI can also coordinate multiple drones to operate in autonomous swarms sharing tasks like surveillance, signal jamming, or area denial. This swarm capability provides a force multiplier, allowing Malaysia to cover wide areas of ocean with minimal human input. Further, AI can be used in decision-support systems for military commanders. Inspired by the US Department of Defence's 'Thunderforge' initiative where Scale AI is a key partner, Malaysia could explore similar AI tools to assist in generating operational plans, simulating battlefield scenarios, and prioritising threats, all while ensuring that human decision-makers remain fully in control. This kind of smart command-and-control infrastructure ensures better preparedness and quicker responses, especially in contested or fast-changing environments like the South China Sea. Neighbouring countries offer useful models. Taiwan has developed loitering drones with AI targeting, India's 'Akashteer' programme uses AI to coordinate counter-drone warfare across hundreds of kilometres, and AUKUS nations have tested multi-drone systems that adapt in real-time to electronic warfare. While Malaysia has not yet embraced armed drones, these developments show the technological direction of regional militaries. For Malaysia, a measured approach prioritising surveillance and deterrence while staying within international law is both viable and strategically wise. To fully realise these capabilities, Malaysia must develop a strong national AI-drone ecosystem. This means investing in homegrown research, engineering, and manufacturing. Drone-specific AI frameworks should be developed in collaboration with defence contractors, start-ups, and universities. Ethical frameworks and governance structures must be established to ensure that AI systems remain under meaningful human control, comply with humanitarian law, and avoid misuse. ASEAN's ongoing efforts to shape regional AI norms can guide Malaysia's approach, balancing innovation with responsibility. The future of defence is not just about firepower, it's about information, intelligence, and interoperability. Malaysia must ensure that its drones and AI systems are not siloed, but integrated across naval, air, and ground forces. For example, drone swarms could relay real-time video to navy vessels, while AI systems track and flag suspicious movement along maritime borders. Edge computing devices onboard drones can process data locally, minimising delays caused by remote command centres. This kind of seamless, multi-domain integration is crucial for fast, adaptive operations in a crisis. Importantly, Malaysia must not lose sight of its strategic identity as a neutral and peace-oriented nation. Drones and AI should not be tools of provocation but instruments of vigilance and deterrence. By maintaining unarmed drone deployments, emphasising surveillance over strike capabilities, and using AI for defensive planning, Malaysia can strengthen its position without becoming entangled in the escalating militarisation of the region. This approach allows Malaysia to assert its rights under international law, monitor its waters against encroachment or criminal activity, and coordinate better with regional partners on maritime safety. In the long run, Malaysia can take the lead in shaping an ASEAN-wide doctrine for AI and drone cooperation. This could include shared surveillance protocols, disaster response coordination, and collective counter-UAV strategies. By promoting interoperability, transparency, and civilian-military integration, Malaysia would contribute to regional stability without becoming dependent on any external bloc. As global militaries enter the age of autonomous systems and algorithmic warfare, Malaysia must not be left behind. Through careful investment in AI, drone technology, and regional cooperation, Malaysia can build a modern defence force that is smart, agile, and ethically grounded. The goal is not domination but assurance guarding sovereignty with intelligence, and preparing for conflict without seeking it. In the contested waters and skies of the Indo-Pacific, Malaysia's best defence may lie not in missiles, but in the sharp eyes and fast minds of AI-guided drones. ‒ July 17, 2025 R. Paneir Selvam is the principal consultant of Arunachala Research & Consultancy Sdn Bhd, a think tank specialising in strategic national and geopolitical matters. The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia. Main image: Defence News
Al Jazeera
17-03-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Turkiye's booming defence industry
Turkiye has always placed a premium on its defence, initially buying then developing its own weapons. The owner of NATO's second-largest standing army has also emerged as a notable weapons exporter, with some iconic products on the international market. Turkiye's exports increased year on year to reach $7.1bn in 2024 – from $1.9bn a decade prior – with customers across Europe and the Middle East. What's behind this growth? What are Turkiye's capabilities? And why is it important? Here's what we know: When did Turkiye move to domestic production? Turkiye has sought military self-sufficiency for a while, a gradual process that saw it establish the Defence Industry Development and Support Administration Office (SAGEB) in 1985. For years, SAGEB focused on international collaboration in research and development. But as Turkiye came up against restrictions on what weapons it could purchase and how it could use them, that switched to local production. In the 2010s, it switched focus to domestic design, resulting in a huge increase in domestic defence production. Today, thousands of Turkish defence manufacturers span land, air, and naval capabilities, which is being increasingly recognised internationally. Have you heard about Turkish drones? Perhaps the most famous Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is the iconic Bayraktar TB2, first deployed in 2014, one of the most widely purchased Turkish defence products. There are several others, however, including the medium-altitude long-endurance Anka-S, which has a payload of 200kg (441lb), and the Vestel Karayel tactical UAV with a 70kg (154lb) payload. The country is also working on its 'Steel Dome' (Celik Kubbe), described as a system that, augmented by AI, can identify and intercept any airborne threat. Additionally, work is ongoing on the first domestic fifth-generation fighter, the Turkish KAAN, which aims to replace aging American F-16s in the Turkish Air Force. What else is in Turkiye's catalogue? On the ground, Turkiye's armoured vehicle production is spearheaded by the Altay main battle tank, designed to rival Western models such as the German Leopard or the US Abrams. The army also has a mine-resistant vehicle, the Kirpi (Hedgehog), widely used in counterinsurgency operations, as well as modern infantry fighting vehicles like the FNSS Defence Systems' Kaplan and the Pars. There's also naval production, with MILGEM (Milli Gemi Projesi, or the National Ship Project), which was set up in 2004 to produce the next generation of Turkish naval class ships. MILGEM has produced state-of-the-art Ada-class corvettes and Istanbul-class frigates, with plans for more advanced warships and submarines. Most remarkable is the amphibious drone-carrying assault ship, the TCG Anadolu, the largest ship in the Turkish navy, which was deployed in 2023. Finally, there's a long list of smart munitions, air defence systems, and missiles, such as the Bora short-range ballistic missile and the long-range Atmaca (Hawk) missiles. Why the interest in arms manufacturing? Turkiye's push to develop military hardware can be said to be as much a result of outside forces as internal drivers. In the mid-1970s, the United States put an arms embargo on Turkiye over its military intervention in Cyprus. In the early 1990s, Germany instituted an export ban on arms to Turkiye, saying armoured cars it sold to Turkiye had been used domestically when the contract had specified they could only be used against an attack by a non-NATO state. Then in 2020, the US sanctioned Turkiye over its purchase of the Russian S-400 air defence system, by which time Turkiye was already established as an arms manufacturer. Today, there are about 3,000 weapons companies in Turkiye. So how much is Turkiye exporting? Exports have increased so they now comprise 1.7 percent of global arms exports, putting the country in 11th place for the period from 2020 to 2024 in the ranking of the world's defence exporters, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). According to monitors, during the last year, Turkiye's exports reached 178 countries, marking a 103 percent increase compared with 2015-2019. Its main customers in the 202-2024 period were the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan and Qatar, according to SIPRI. As for its most famous export, the Bayraktar medium-altitude long-endurance drone has reportedly been exported to at least 31 countries, including Iraq, Ukraine, Kenya, Bangladesh and Japan. Last year, its manufacturer Baykar announced the investment of $300m in developing its own jet engines, aiming to take on more component production and avoid international supply chain challenges. It aims to develop an in-house engine for its Akinci drone, then a turbofan engine for Kizilelma, an unmanned air-to-air combat vehicle that is under development. So far, both use Ukrainian engines.
