MOSCOW, April 23. /TASS/. Russia’s Unmanned Systems Group is ready to offer Malaysia the opportunity to localize production of its Supercam brand of drones, the group’s spokesperson Yekaterina Zgirovskaya told TASS.

"If there is interest in localizing production of the Supercam drones in the region, the Unmanned Systems Group is ready to discuss this option," Zgirovskaya said, answering a TASS question.

She noted that the Malaysian government is interested in the possibility of localizing production. The Malaysia Drone Technology Action Plan 2022-2030 is in effect. The goal is to make Malaysia a regional hub for the development and implementation of unmanned technologies in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam).

According to Zgirovskaya, the Supercam S350 could be useful to Malaysia in both the defense and civilian spheres, particularly for protecting state borders. "Currently, the country’s land borders are patrolled by manned helicopters. And unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are definitely a more modern and cost-effective way to perform such tasks, including coast-guarding, patrolling the South China Sea, modernizing the police, ground forces, and fire-safety operations," Zgirovskaya said. "The Supercam S350 and its ‘brother,’ the Supercam SX350 tiltrotor, can perform similar tasks in all countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with which Russia maintains military-technical and economic cooperation. The use of drones for maritime monitoring is relevant for all ASEAN countries," she added.