Looks like Malaysia may soon be shooting for the skies, literally.
Malaysia could soon begin producing rockets locally, following a new strategic defence partnership signed during Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin’s official working visit to Australia.
The collaboration, signed between Weststar Defence Industries Sdn Bhd and Rocket Technologies International Pty Ltd, is seen as an important step in strengthening Malaysia’s defence industry, especially in the field of rocket and missile technology.
Rocket production expected within two years
According to a statement by the Ministry of Defence, the partnership will pave the way for technology transfer, research and development, talent development, as well as cooperation with higher education institutions.
The statement also said the planned construction of a production facility in Malaysia is expected to allow rocket production to begin within two years.
Once that is achieved, the initiative may later expand into missile production in the future.
So to be clear, this does not mean Malaysia is immediately building a fully locally designed rocket from scratch. Instead, the plan focuses on setting up local production capabilities through strategic cooperation, technology transfer and industry development.
Strengthening Malaysia’s defence industry
The ministry said the initiative is in line with the National Defence Industry Policy, which aims to strengthen the country’s local defence capabilities and build a more sovereign national defence ecosystem.
Through the collaboration, local industry players are also expected to gain opportunities to take part in the global defence supply chain.
This includes opening more space for Malaysian companies, researchers, skilled workers and education institutions to be involved in the development of defence technology.
Australia thanked for supporting the partnership
Mohamed Khaled also expressed appreciation to the Australian government for supporting the collaboration and technology transfer between the two companies.
He also congratulated Weststar for its commitment to investing in a strategic field that could help strengthen Malaysia’s defence ecosystem.
For now, Malaysia’s next big target is clear: to begin producing rockets locally within the next two years, before possibly moving into missile production later on.
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