PETALING JAYA: Weststar Group subsidiary Weststar Defence Industries Sdn Bhd has inked a strategic cooperation with Australian aerospace and defence technology firm Rocket Technologies International Pty Ltd (RTI), further bolstering the capabilities of the Malaysian defence industry.
The deal was signed at the National Convention Centre in Canberra, Australia, by Weststar Group founder and managing director, Syed Azman Syed Ibrahim, and RTI founder Allan James Payne.
Defence minister Khaled Nordin witnessed the officiation during a recent three-day work trip to Australia.
Khaled said the Weststar-RTI deal was a crucial step towards strengthening the Malaysian defence industry’s capabilities, particularly in the area of rocket and missile technology.
He said RTI has vast experience in the field while its cooperation with Weststar would allow for technology transfer, research and development (R&D), human capital development, and partnerships with higher education institutions.
“The government welcomes and fully supports this strategic cooperation as it is in line with our efforts to develop our local defence capabilities, particularly in the area of development and production of rockets and missiles.
“This cooperation does not only involve the aspect of production but includes the construction of production facilities in Malaysia, which are expected to commence production of rockets in two years before expanding to missile production in the future,” he said in a statement.
Khaled said Weststar’s investment is expected to help Malaysia join RTI’s global supply chain, opening up more opportunities for local industry players in the international defence ecosystem.
He said this is in line with Putrajaya’s national defence industry policy, which aspires to elevate and build the nation’s defence industry’s capabilities.
The minister also thanked the Australian government for its support for the cooperation and technology transfer between RTI and Weststar.
“Congratulations to Weststar for its commitment towards investing in this strategic area, which not only brings returns for the local industry but also strengthens our national defence capabilities for generations to come,” said Khaled.
During his visit, Khaled met his Australian counterpart Richard Marles, who is also Australia’s deputy prime minister, as the two leaders discussed efforts to strengthen the defence cooperation between both nations.
He also visited the Australian parliament in Canberra, hosted by speaker Milton Dick, joined by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul and the Malaysian high commissioner to Australia, Sharrina Abdullah.
The minister also visited the University of Southern Queensland’s Institute for Space, Defence and Advanced Technologies on his final day, where he was briefed about its advanced composite manufacturing and hypersonic lab developed with several firms, including RTI.
“This visit showed how industries benefit from academic expertise to develop defence technologies and products. This approach is crucial to spur national defence R&D, in line with our national defence industry policy,” he said.
