Onwards to TN50: Our Commitment To Malaysia’s Defence Sector
By Thomas Pistre, Country Director for Thales in Malaysia
Transformasi Nasional 2050 or TN50 may seem far in the future but the journey began last year when the Prime Minister announced the continued aspiration from Wawasan 2020 (Vision 2020). The world in 2050 may look very different but the foundation to have Malaysia ranked as a top country in economic development, citizen well-being and innovation begins now. As the country strives to achieve its goals, adaptability, modernisation, and innovation are key traits for Malaysia to remain competitive.
Growth in a country can only be achieved when we have stability. This is why defence and security will be key pillars to Malaysia’s TN50 vision. Recognising how critical it can be, the government announced a 5.3 percent increase in defence spending under the 2018 budget. This signals the Malaysian government’s commitment to modernise its fleet in a bid to prepare for evolving, sophisticated challenges in the air, on land or at sea.
Thales is the core partner of the entire Malaysian Armed Forces - on the ground; above and under water and in the air. We supply and maintain Tactical radios as well as OICS systems for Armed Vehicles to the Army, Air Surveillance, Air Defence and ISR systems to the Air Force as well as Combat Management Systems, Electronic Warfare and Satcom solutions to the Navy. As I lead the organisation in Malaysia, I am proud to say that Thales has stood by its Malaysian customers for close to four decades, across volatile economic climates, during which some of our competitors made the decision to leave. And that decision is bringing us great results, and closer intimacy with our customers.
But we are not going to rest on our laurels. Understanding that Malaysia will need to continuously innovate and upgrade its defences, we are committed to help Malaysia’s military with its modernisation and digitisation plan. Furthermore our localisation plan is delivering great results with products fabricated in Malaysia being exported at a great pace, all over the world. Sapura Thales Electronics, our joint-venture with the Sapura Group, celebrated its 21st anniversary last year and is a strong supplier within the local defence sector.
It is not just the solutions for today that we are focusing on but the solutions for tomorrow. As other industries undergo digital transformation, defence and security must do the same. With digital being a core part of our strategy and DNA, Thales is focused on developing ourselves in four key digital technologies – Big Data, Connectivity, Cybersecurity, and Artificial Intelligence. A forward-thinking military force will need to be fully adept in these four areas as we enter the age of Defence 4.0:
- Connectivity – From unmanned drones to remote radars, the military would be increasingly connected in the future, allowing for greater agility as machines and humans are able to communicate and coordinate between each other in real-time.
- Big Data – A military organisation that is able to make quick, accurate decisions would have a higher chance at winning. And this would not be possible without the harnessing the vast amount of data available for intelligence and insights.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Besides data analytics, the defence ministry needs to also leverage machine learning and AI to ensure systems have a “mind” of its own that would enable rapid and correct decision-making.
- Cybersecurity – The sine qua non condition to an open, connected and autonomous world. Defence forces would need to have end-to-end security for its critical data and digital infrastructure once they undergo digital transformation.
We believe that our success in Malaysia can only be achieved through developing strong local expertise. We have been doing so by working closely with key local industrial partners and we have help developed their capabilities through sharing of best practices, as well as technology and knowledge transfer.
Our partnership with National Defence University of Malaysia and Warwick Manufacturing Group to deliver MSc degree programme in International Technology Management for Defence & Security also underscores our commitment to support the TalentCorp initiative of the Malaysian government. .
For close to 40 years, we have provided continuous support to major Malaysian stakeholders in the Defence, Transport, Security, and Aerospace sectors as they seek to further their ambitions. As Malaysia charges forward to achieve TN50, Thales remains committed to supporting the country and its people to become one of the top 20 nations of the world by 2050.