Malaysia, Australia deepen strategic defence cooperation

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and Australia have agreed to deepen defence ties through closer strategic collaboration, with greater emphasis being placed on operational readiness, interoperability and emerging technologies.

The agreement was reached at the sixth Malaysia-Australia High-Level Committee (HLC), co-chaired by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles in Geelong.

During the meeting, longstanding cooperation was agreed to be expanded from military exercises towards more integrated planning to strengthen the ability of both armed forces to operate together.

Operation Gateway will also be strengthened through greater information sharing, enhanced Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, increased personnel involvement in operational activities and improved technological readiness.

Defence cooperation

The Malaysia-Australia Joint Defence Programme (MAJDP) will be further strengthened in defence industry and technology, capability development, innovation, maintenance, repair and overhaul, as well as defence supply chain resilience.

Cyber cooperation will also be expanded, including through the integration of cyber elements into bilateral exercises and the activation of a dedicated Cyber Working Group.

Cooperation in artificial intelligence, autonomous and unmanned systems, maritime surveillance, space technology and defence innovation will also be pursued.

On the final day of Mohamed Khaled’s Sept 16-18 working visit, Malaysia and Australia signed the Mutual Logistics Support Arrangements (MLSA), which was described as an important step towards improving logistical support and operational readiness.

The Strategic Planning Committee will oversee follow-up actions and implementation of the agreed initiatives.

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