Page 9 - DSA 2024 - DAY 3 | DAILY NEWS

Regional Defence Industry has serviced the Indonesian Army’s Mi-17V
helicopters.

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

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