Malaysia will place its Japanese-supplied counter-drone systems at Sepanggar and Labuan

Malaysia plans to deploy the counter-drone systems it is receiving from Japan at key operational bases, including the naval base at Sepanggar in Sabah and the federal territory of Labuan, Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said on Saturday. The equipment is being supplied under Japan's Official Security Assistance programme, which provides defence equipment to partner militaries.

Khaled told reporters that the systems were meant to strengthen Malaysia's readiness against drone attacks, according to Free Malaysia Today, which cited the Malay-language daily Berita Harian. He said Malaysia faced a very different geopolitical situation and, as a maritime nation, had to protect its whole maritime domain as well as its land, singling out the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea as critical areas.

Free Malaysia Today also reported him as saying that parts of the South China Sea are contested by China, Vietnam and the Philippines, and that Malaysia therefore had to keep the capability to control its own waters. The minister did not say how many systems would be delivered or which specific facilities at the two locations would be covered.

The deal was signed in Tokyo on 20 October by Khaled and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi during the Malaysian minister's working visit to Japan. The Star put its value at about 40 million ringgit, while Free Malaysia Today gave a figure of 43 million ringgit. Free Malaysia Today said it was the first time Japan had supplied a counter-unmanned aircraft system to Malaysia under the programme, of which Malaysia has been a recipient since 2023.

Defence Security Asia, a regional specialist outlet, reported that the package intended for the Royal Malaysian Navy combines a medium-range radar, a high-performance camera and interceptor drones that use capture nets to bring down small aircraft. It said the supplier had not been officially confirmed and that delivery was expected in roughly a year, which means the bases will not be protected by the new equipment until then.

Sepanggar is the principal base of the navy's Eastern Fleet and home to Malaysia's submarine force. Defence Security Asia noted that the base supports patrols off Sabah and Sarawak and watches the approaches to the South China Sea, so keeping it free from disruption by small drones matters for the navy's ability to sustain a presence at sea. Labuan supports air and maritime activity in East Malaysia, the outlet added.

Khaled used his remarks to press Tokyo to keep the assistance programme going, saying it had been very helpful in building Malaysia's capabilities, The Star reported. He linked the growth in defence ties to Japan's 2022 security strategy, which widened Tokyo's military assistance to regional partners, and said national defence readiness depends on a mix of modern equipment, international partnerships and regular joint exercises.

Defence Security Asia assessed that the purchase mainly strengthens the shore infrastructure behind Malaysian maritime operations rather than adding combat power at sea, while giving Japan a practical way to support security along sea lanes on which its own economy depends. It cautioned that the real value of the systems will depend on their final configuration, trained operators and arrangements to keep the equipment available, none of which has been made public.