KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 – Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Utama Mohamad Hasan today stated that a new air defence radar will be operational in Labuan by the end of this year.

He stated the matter during the Oral Question and Answer Session in the Dewan Rakyat.

“The Royal Malaysian Air Force and the Ministry of Defence are in the process of replacing the radar in Labuan,

“We will call the system from the United States that we will commission at the end of this year,” he said.

According to him, the TPS-77 radar will replace the outdated Italian-made radar.

Previously, the United States had announced the proposed procurement of 3 long-range radars to Malaysia and Indonesia in 2020. At that time, the specific number of radars for the two countries was not specified further.

The contract was later awarded to Lockheed Martin in 2021 with a value of US$25,111,798.

At the same time, Tok Mat stressed that the country’s airspace is constantly monitored and watched consistently by the Royal Malaysian Air Force.