S. Africa, Russia eye SE Asian defense market
S. Africa, Russia eye SE Asian defense market
LANGKAWI, Malaysia (AFP): Major military equipment manufacturers including South Africa and Russia are eying the Southeast Asian market, with Malaysia as a possible gateway into the region, officials said yesterday.
"South Africa is using Malaysia as the starting point to boost its presence in the Southeast Asian region because of its friendship with its neighbors," South African Defense Minister Joe Modise said at a maritime and air show here.
Modise, attending the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA '95) show which opened here Tuesday, said South Africa was also willing to share its technological expertise to develop the defense industry in the region.
"By working together, we have a greater chance of success," he told reporters on the northwestern Malaysian island of Langkawi.
The South African team is the largest at the LIMA exhibition with more than 30 companies taking part in the six-day show. South Africa's state-owned weapons procurement and export agency, ARMSCOR, already has an office in Kuala Lumpur.
The exhibition has attracted 588 companies from 35 countries as exhibitors for military hardware, satellite equipment and passenger plans and boats.
Top officials from Russian defense equipment exporters, which clinched a deal to sell 18 MiG-29 fighter aircraft to Malaysia in 1994, said they would build on existing ties here to strengthen its presence in the region.
Boris Kuzyk, Russia's presidential adviser on military and political cooperation with foreign countries, said the MIG-29 deal showed the potential for other Russian defense deals in the area.
The MiG-29 contract, which included training for pilots and spare parts for the aircraft, cost the Malaysian government a total of US$1.6 billion, of which $381 million went towards the aircraft.
"We are looking at other countries to sell our weapons, especially those which have plans to reorganize their armed forces in Southeast Asia," Kuzyk said.
But he declined to answer questions on whether Russia was negotiating to sell MiG-29's to Thailand and the Philippines.
Malaysia has already indicated it will be scouting for defense equipment during LIMA '95 to upgrade its armed forces.
The Malaysian Air Force is reported to be one of several countries which evaluated a South African attack helicopter, on display at LIMA, during flight and weapons-firing tests in South Africa earlier this year.
The CSH-2 Rooivalk is made by South Africa's largest defense industry company, the Denel Group, which is also parading its Oryx medium transport helicopter at the Langkawi show.
The Malaysian army is also looking at buying up to 70 tanks including bridge-layers and recovery vehicles to equip two armored regiments.
The tank contract is being eyed by Britain's Vickers PLC and Z.M. Bumar Labedy S.A. of Poland.
The biennial exhibition, the third since 1991, will show a total of 84 military and civilian planes and helicopters, 18 navy vessels and seven mega yachts.