By Paolo Valpolini

Inaugurated by the Deputy Minister of Defence and by the Deputy Minister of  Home affairs, the 16th edition of  DSA (Defence Services Asia) is hosted for the first time in the new MITEC (Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre) and gathers over 1,000 exhibitors from over 60 different countries. The 2018 edition goes beyond defence, as together with DSA visitors can have full access to homeland security technologies exhibited in the NATSEC Asia 2018 (National Security Asia 2018).

Split on three floors, the exhibition sees the Malaysian industry at the forefront, presenting its most recent developments, while numerous major international defence players line up for potential contracts in Malaysia and in the region, always in partnership with local industries, a condition that has become a must.

After having inaugurated a forum on “Recalibrating the Regional Security Architecture”, around 4 PM on April 16 the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Yab Dato’ Sri Mohd  Najib bin Tu Abdul Razak visited the exhibition. Malaysia is in the need of modernising its armed forces, however budget cuts have forced the Ministry of Defence to prioritise investments, postponing some of the planned programmes.