Malaysia Finalises Thales GM400 Alpha Deal

MALAYSIA finalised their purchase of two additional GM400 Alpha long-range air surveillance radars. The letter of acceptance (LOA) was handed over from the Malaysian delegation comprising the prime minister Anwar Ibrahim and defence minister Khaled Nordin to the French delegation led by the prime minister Francois Bayrou and Thales’ Land and Air Systems Executive Vice President Herve Dammann.

“This award is a recognition of Thales’ unparalleled radar expertise, honed through the years and on the battlefield. We are delighted to receive this award from Prime Minister Anwar on his state visit to France to commemorate the strong bilateral relations between our two countries. As a global technology leader and with our long-standing relationship with Weststar, Thales is committed to helping Malaysia build up its national defence sector”, Dammann said.

Thales had received an initial order for one GM400 Alpha in December 2023 to be delivered to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) complete with radar station infrastructure, including access roads, power source, air conditioning, telecommunications systems, radome and associated logistics.

Then in May of this year, Thales received the order for two more GM400 Alphas, underscoring the trust held by the RMAF in Thales’ radar technology, following the first GM400 Alpha contract. It represents an upgrade for the RMAF who has been entrusting the safety of Malaysian airspace with the preceding GM400 radar.

In Malaysia, Thales will partner with local partner Weststar Group, to deploy the radars in line with the operational requirements of the RMAF. Thales will also engage in Transfer of Knowledge and Train-the-Trainer courses delivered under the Industrial Collaboration Programme (ICP), while strengthening its installed base in Malaysia for long-range surveillance radars.

By building local expertise, Thales will enhance the efficiency of radar maintenance, enhance the autonomy of the RMAF and ensure timely on-ground maintenance support close to the end-users. Thales’ radar expertise in Malaysia runs deep, as the country was also the launch customer for the precursor GM400 radar in 2009, which Thales is currently upgrading to Alpha mode.–shp/adj/dl (Pix:MINDEF)