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KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Armed Forces’ current readiness levels need to be further boosted to face increasingly complex modern threats, says Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Khaled Nordin.
He cautioned that the emergence of sophisticated weapons systems threatens to compromise national defence if the modernisation of the Armed Forces does not keep pace with technological advancements.
“Recent conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza have shown the extensive use of advanced systems such as combat drones, long-range missiles, electronic warfare and unmanned platforms across various domains,” he said in his speech before launching the Mid-Term Review of the Defence White Paper on Thursday (Sept 11).
Mohamed Khaled added that the rise of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cyber-physical systems (CPS), has also begun reshaping military operations by enabling faster and more precise decision-making.
"These developments bring significant risks to national security if left unmonitored.
"Therefore, the Armed Forces must adapt and integrate these advanced technologies to ensure that Malaysia’s operational capabilities remain preserved and on par with regional powers,” he said.
Mohamed Khaled said the ministry is also working on new procurements to narrow the readiness gap of the Armed Forces.
"The acquisitions, which include FA-50 light combat aircraft, ATR-72 maritime patrol aircraft, the ANKA-S medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial system (MALE UAS), the second batch of Littoral Mission Ships (LMS) and Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), are scheduled for delivery between 2026 and 2030,” he said.
He stressed that strengthening defence readiness also requires developing the local defence industry, including domestic production of components and maintenance work.
"Relying heavily on external sources for assets, equipment maintenance and logistics not only increases costs but also exposes our defence sector to global supply chain disruptions, especially during international conflicts,” he added.
