Malaysia-Germany Bilateral Defence Ties Boost

MALAYSIA and Germany are committed to continuing to strengthen bilateral defence ties through various strategic initiatives, including cooperation agreements, military training, and capacity building in the field of security and defence technology. Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the matter was among those discussed during his meeting with German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius in conjunction with the United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025 Forum held in Berlin recently.

“Germany and Malaysia enjoy good relations in the field of defence, and we deeply value the cooperation that has been fostered over the years. Whenever the opportunity arises, we make it a point to meet and exchange views on the current geopolitical and security landscape,” he said.

He also welcomed ASEAN’s decision to accept Germany as an observer country in the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM), while hoping that the country would play a meaningful role in the regional security platform. “Malaysia is grateful for Germany’s willingness to join the ADMM as an observer and is confident that this participation will contribute to the peace and stability of the Southeast Asian region,” he said.

At the meeting, Mohamed Khaled said Germany also expressed its intention to sign a Letter of Intent with Malaysia to facilitate and expedite all forms of defence cooperation between the two countries.

He also expressed appreciation for Malaysia’s participation in the ‘Enable and Enhance’ programme, which is an initiative by Germany to help build the defence capabilities of partner countries. “We greatly appreciate the contributions under this programme and hope that it will continue, especially by the newly formed German government,” he said.

Mohamed Khaled said Malaysia hopes that the training opportunities for its Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) pilots in the A400M simulator in Germany can continue, given that the aircraft is also used by the country. “I also suggest that Germany consider opening up training opportunities for Malaysian military personnel in technology-related fields such as AI and cybersecurity, which are increasingly important in today’s defence landscape,” he said.

He added that the meeting reflected the determination of both countries in building more sustainable defence cooperation, in line with increasingly challenging global security needs. 

Airbus also publicised its readiness to offer Malaysia enhanced capabilities via additional A400Ms, H225M helicopters, C295 Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) and even the A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT). Malaysia was the first A400M export customer and has since logged over 13,000 hours on the platform.

In 2021, the Indonesian defence ministry ordered two A400Ms in multirole tanker and transport configuration to be the second A400M operator o in Southeast Asia once the first airframe is delivered by the end of this year. Meanwhile, the subsequent aircraft is currently in structural assembly. Indonesia also signed a letter of intent for potentially four more A400Ms. Airbus had also stated its firefighting kit currently under development would be of substantial advantage for A400M operators worldwide.

Meanwhile, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is looking at Airbus’ C295 and Boeing’s P-8A Poseidon to replace its Fokker-50 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA). Airbus has also been marketing the smaller C295 mid-sized airlifter to go hand-in-hand with the RMAF A400M while the C295 MSA variant is being proposed to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).

Simultaneously, the H225M looks to solve the country’s much-needed medium-lift helicopter requirements especially for the Malaysian Army. The RMAF has been operating 12 H225M helicopters from its Kuantan and Labuan airbases which have logged close to 40,000 flight hours, making them the world’s highest military flyer since it entered RMAF service in 2012. Its Southeast Asia user ecosystem includes the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU), and the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF).

Additionally, Airbus confirmed the selection of its A330 MRTT by the RTAF but was unable to specify in further detail. However, the company also proposed the platform for the RMAF once its fighter aircraft fleet expands in the near future. In a separate release, the RMAF’s H120 trainer helicopters and Royal Malaysian Navy’s (RMN) fleet of AS555SN Fennec helicopters surpassed a record 25,000 hours.–mgm/adj/adj (Pix:ADJ)