Singapore Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen’s presence at the ongoing show and his meeting with Malaysia’s Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as well as Malaysian Minister of Defence Dato’ Seri Mohamad Khaled Nordin underscores the healthy and long-standing relationship between the two countries in the defence sector.
During their meeting, the leaders discussed regional security issues, and reaffirmed their commitment to enhance defence ties by strengthening practical cooperation between the two defence establishments. The ties between the two countries in the defence sector include bilateral and multilateral exercises, visits, professional exchanges, and the cross-attendance of courses.
The thriving relationship between the two countries is just one of the many examples of growing cooperation between Southeast Asian countries in the defence sphere. In December last year, a delegation led former Malaysian Defence Minister Dato’ Seri Utama Haji Mohamad Bin Haji Hasan visited Vietnam at the invitation of Vietnamese Defence Minister General Phan Van Giang. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance defence cooperation was signed during the trip. The two countries had established a Strategic Partnership for defence in 2015.
A deal signed last year between South Korea and Malaysia illustrates the potential for growth of regional defence industry ties. While four out of 18 Korea Aerospace Industries-made FA-50 Block 20 light combat aircraft will be completely made in South Korea, the remaining 14 aircraft will be assembled in Malaysia with technical help from the aircraft manufacturer. With over 100 T-50/FA-50 jets currently in use by Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, Malaysia’s decision to assemble the aircraft locally will help it move closer to the goal of becoming the regional Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) hub for users of the aircraft.
Other countries in the region have woken up to the need to depend more on each other and less on countries in other regions for their defence needs. While Indonesia’s state-owned shipbuilder, PT PAL Indonesia, is constructing two landing platform docks for the Philippine Navy, PT Dirgantara Indonesia has won a contract to supply six NC-212i light transport aircraft to the Philippine Air Force. The company is also upgrading three CN-235-220 aircraft for the Royal Malaysian Air Force. Vietnam and Indonesia are mulling cooperation in the field of MRO for Russian-made Su-27/30 fighter aircraft that is in use in both countries; Vietnam’s Helicopter Technical Services Corporation has serviced the Indonesian Army’s Mi-17V helicopters.
The Indonesian Armed Forces has procured weapons such as machine guns, grenade launchers and howitzers from Singaporean defence companies. The Ultimax 100 light machine gun, also developed by ST Engineering, is a mainstay of the Indonesian Navy’s Kopaska tactical diver group and the Indonesian Army’s Kopassus special forces group. Indonesian defence firm PT Pindad has inked a contract with ST Engineering, manufacturer of the Ultimax 100 light machine gun, to make the gun in Indonesia. The company has an agreement with ST Engineering to make two of its products – the STK 50 heavy machine gun and the STK 40 automatic grenade launcher – in Indonesia. Until recently, Singapore’s ST Engineering provided MRO services to the Indonesian Air Force’s C-130 aircraft fleet.
The strengthening of defence ties between members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comes at a time when many of them are currently engaged in the active modernization of their armed forces. Due to the sanctions that the U.S. has imposed on Russia because of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, many countries in the region have found it increasingly difficult not only to do business with Moscow but also to keep Russian-made weapon systems operational. Defence industry analysts are of the opinion that the time is ripe for countries in the region to enhance regional defence industry cooperation, thereby reducing their dependence on other nations for arms.
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