SUBANG, Dec 18 — Three Turkish-made Anka unmanned aerial vehicles that will be delivered to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) next February to strengthen its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities in the South China Sea.

RMAF chief General Datuk Seri Muhamad Norazlan Aris said the three Medium Altitude Long Endurance-Unmanned Aerial System (MALE-UAS) drones along with Ground Station Control (GCS) will be brought from Turkiye by sea.

“The assets are currently on board a ship for delivery to Malaysia. The journey is expected to take about 45 days and God willing, by the end of January, the three aircraft along with the GCS will arrive in Labuan,” he said at a press conference in conjunction with the RMAF Excellence Day here today.

Muhamad Norazlan said the drones, which will be stationed at the Labuan Air Base, will complement the RMAF’s existing CN-235 (MSA) maritime surveillance aircraft, with a focus on operations in northern Sabah.

“The CN-235 MSA aircraft has limitations in certain missions, so the presence of ANKA is an important capability enhancement. With this manoeuver, we will be able to monitor the surrounding area and take effective follow-up action if necessary,” he said.

Commenting on future plans, he said RMAF intends to procure more drones under Phase Two of the Capability Development Plan 2055 (CAP55).

“This programme is structured in three phases and under the current CAP55 plan, our initial target is nine drones. After evaluating the performance of the aircraft currently received, we will determine the actual number required, but for now, our target remains nine,” he said.

In another development, Muhamad Norazlan said the Leonardo ATR-72 maritime patrol aircraft project is progressing smoothly with 60 per cent work progress so far.

He said modifications and structural strengthening work were underway to house advanced sensors on the aircraft and it was expected to be completed before April 2027, subject to the delivery of two key systems from the United States.

If all goes well, he said the aircraft is expected to be introduced to the public during the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2027 (LIMA ‘27). — Bernama