The requirement for loitering munitions by the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) has been revealed during THE FUTURE OF DRONES AND AIR MOBILITY SYSTEM web seminar organised in 2021. Also known as the Kamikaze drones, they would be most useful for counter battery, destruction of enemy air defence as well as special operations.
Recently, Turkish drone maker, Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret A.Ş (STM) has offered its Kargu kamikaze drone following expression of interest by the MAF. Built as small and portable quadcopter which could be operated by a single man, it is optimised for asymmetric warfare and counter insurgency operations (COIN) hence making it most useful against the Kidnap for Ransom (KFR) groups from southern Philippines which some times intruded Malaysian waters.
Equipped with Artificial Intelligence (AI) especially Facial Recognition feature, any members of KFR gangs who were listed in the ESSCOM wanted list could risk their life as the drone is able to pin point its attack precisely on target person of interests with its lethal 1.3 kilogram of warhead attached to the aircraft.
Against MANPADS or anti aircraft artillery (AAA), the Kargu could be employed in swarms making it very difficult to be defeated by enemy air defence.
Employed in combat by Azerbaijan and Turkey, STM now zeroes in to Malaysia as its next potential customer especially in support of the Joint Task Force 2 Command (Markas Angkatan Tugas Bersama 2 – Mk ATB2) in Sabah, Defence Intelligence Staff Division (Bahagian Staf Perisikan Pertahanan – BSPP) as well as the Defence Special Operation Division (Bahagian Operasi Pasukan Khas Pertahanan – BOPKP ).
Looking at such potential, STM has offered local assembly of the drone to the MAF. As of date, DEFTECH and TAI have agreed to establish local production of the latter’s Anka Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The Anka MALE UAV is one of the candidates vying for the contract to supply three Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).
(MFH)