One of the 14 Aerobo Wing AS-VT02A UAVs that have been donated by Japan to Malaysia is seen here at the handover ceremony on 22 September 2025. (Malaysian Armed Forces)
Putrajaya will deploy the 14 donated unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) it received from Japan across its land, maritime, and cyber-defence units.
This allocation was confirmed in a statement issued by the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) following a formal handover ceremony that was held on 22 September.
In the statement, the MAF said that the Malaysian Army and the Royal Malaysian Navy will each receive six units of the UAV, which is known as the Aerobo Wing AS-VT02A and manufactured by Japanese Company Aerosense.
The remaining two UAVs have been allocated to a unit that operates under the MAF’s headquarters formation and oversees cyber-defence matters, the MAF said.
“The UAVs are capable of operating both day and night, enhancing Malaysia’s capabilities in maritime surveillance, border control, and national security operations,” the MAF said in its statement.
All 14 UAVs have been donated by the Japanese government via the country’s Official Security Assistance (OSA) programme, and the transfer is valued at JPY400 million (USD2.6 million), the MAF added.
The UAVs are part of a non-lethal equipment grant agreement approved by Malaysia’s cabinet in December 2023 and formalised through an exchange of notes between the Malaysian government and the Japan International Cooperation System (JICS).
The AS-VT02A is a fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAV that is similar to the company’sASVT02K. It measures 2,130×1,200×450 mm and can carry payloads of up to 1 kg.
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AloJapan.com