Russia Offers Advanced Warheads to Malaysia for Local UAV Production

TOKYO, April 21. /TASS/. Russia has expressed readiness to supply advanced warheads to Malaysia to support the local production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and loitering munitions, the Bernama news agency reported, citing an unnamed representative of Russia's arms exporter Rosoboronexport (part of the state tech corporation Rostec). As he indicated in an interview with the agency on the sidelines of the Defense Services Asia (DSA) international arms and military equipment exhibition in Malaysia, this concerns warheads weighing 2.5 kg, 3 kg, and 5 kg. "We offer these advanced warheads for the region as well. If national manufacturers, especially in Malaysia, want to produce their own UAVs or loitering munitions, the Russian side is ready to offer these effective components to ensure high-accuracy engagement," the company spokesperson said. According to Bernama, Malaysia is currently making significant efforts to modernize its unmanned aerial systems capabilities. For example, the country's Ministry of Defense has recently finalized the acquisition of the Turkish-made ANKA-S Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAVs to enhance the Royal Malaysian Air Force's (RMAF) Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. The Rosoboronexport spokesperson noted that while Malaysia is currently integrating these MALE-UAS platforms, Russia's offer focuses on the tactical end of drone warfare, enabling the development of smaller, lethal loitering munitions that have proven effective in modern combat environments. The Defense Services Asia 2026 international exhibition of arms and military equipment opened on April 20 in Kuala Lumpur and runs until April 23. Rosoboronexport is organizing the joint Russian exhibit.