Turkish drones are about to arrive, and Malaysia can't hide its excitement; once they get their hands on them, they will immediately monitor the South China Sea.

Recently, the Royal Malaysian Air Force posted on social media, claiming that a technical team consisting of seven officers and 19 members successfully completed the maintenance course for the "Anka" medium-range long-endurance drones at Turkish Aerospace Industries.

On the same day, Malaysian Defense Minister Khalid Abdullah also announced publicly that the country is about to receive two Turkish-made "Anka-S" high-altitude long-endurance drones in February next year.

It is reported that during the LIMA 2023 (Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition) in 2023, Malaysia signed a contract worth over 400 million Malaysian Ringgit (approximately 680 million RMB) with Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), purchasing three Anka-S drones and related support equipment, with an expected delivery in February 2026.

Converted, each one costs about 226 million RMB, which is quite expensive.

From the performance parameters, Anka-S has a 30-hour endurance, a flight altitude of up to 9,000 meters, a payload capacity of 250-350 kg, and is equipped with advanced sensors such as synthetic aperture radar (SAR), inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR), and ground moving target indication (GMTI), as well as electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) cameras and satellite communication systems (SATCOM), supporting all-weather target detection and tracking.

Malaysia has stated its intention to deploy the Turkish drones it receives at the Labuan Air Base, serving as "eyes and ears" to monitor foreign incursions into its waters, especially in the direction of the South China Sea.

Former Malaysian Defense Minister Sri Muhammad Hasan emphasized the importance of equipping the country with comprehensive surveillance capabilities and the need to "see with eyes and listen with ears" to monitor everything happening in the country's waters, especially in the South China Sea.

He said: "The three medium-altitude long-endurance drones we have purchased will be deployed in the South China Sea. We must have the ability to 'see in all directions.' Our eyes must be able to see beyond 350 kilometers from the coast."

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1840781030408202/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.