Khaled in Turin to inspect work on maritime aircraft
The air force has ordered two ATR-72 maritime patrol aircraft, which are being built in Turin, Italy. (Leonardo pic)
PETALING JAYA : Defence minister Khaled Nordin arrived in Turin, Italy, today for a two-day official working visit during which he will inspect progress on two maritime patrol aircraft ordered by the air force.
Khaled's delegation includes air force chief Asghar Khan Goriman Khan and a senior defence ministry official, Yani Daud, Bernama reported.
Malaysia has ordered two ATR-72 maritime aircraft from the Leonardo defence and arms company in a RM900 million deal announced in 2023. The air force has plans to buy six maritime patrol aircraft in all, as part of its 2055 development plan.
The ATR-72MP is a twin-turboprop aircraft for maritime patrol missions. It is equipped with sensors that provide capabilities for anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and electronic intelligence gathering.
According to the manufacturer, the aircraft has capabilities for monitoring of sea lane traffic, fisheries protection, counter smuggling and counter drug trafficking operations, patrol of exclusive economic zones, as well as search and rescue operations.
Khaled is scheduled to leave for Berlin, Germany, on Monday to attend a United Nations ministerial forum on peacekeeping.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Soccer-Liverpool shatter club transfer record to sign Germany midfielder Wirtz
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Nations League - Third Place Play Off Match - Germany v France - MHPArena, Stuttgart, Germany - June 8, 2025 Germany's Florian Wirtz during the warm-up before the match REUTERS/Heiko Becker/File Photo (Reuters) -Liverpool have signed Germany's Florian Wirtz from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, the Premier League champions said on Friday, as they smashed their transfer record to seal a deal for the attacking midfielder. Financial details were not disclosed, but British media reported that Liverpool would pay around 116.5 million pounds ($156.86 million) in total, which includes 16.5 million pounds in potential add-ons. That makes the 22-year-old their most-expensive signing ever, ahead of Netherlands centre back and captain Virgil van Dijk who joined for 75 million pounds in 2017. Wirtz, who signed a long-term contract, also becomes the fifth 100 million pound plus signing in Premier League history, joining Chelsea midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, Arsenal's Declan Rice and Manchester City winger Jack Grealish. "I feel very happy and very proud. Finally it's done and I was waiting for a long time – finally it's done and I am really happy," Wirtz said in a statement. "I'm really excited to have a new adventure in front of me. This was also a big point of my thoughts: that I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League." With two years left on his Leverkusen contract, Wirtz was also heavily linked with a move to German champions Bayern Munich and Pep Guardiola's City, who were looking to replace Kevin De Bruyne after the Belgian playmaker's exit. Wirtz was instrumental at Leverkusen, leading them to an undefeated domestic league and Cup double in the 2023-24 season while they went two league seasons without an away defeat. ($1 = 0.7427 pounds) (Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru, Editing by Toby Davis and Pritha Sarkar)
Free Malaysia Today
3 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
6 judges honoured with rare elevation ceremony in Penang
The six judges with presiding senior Justice Rozana Ali Yusoff after the elevation ceremony at the High Court in George Town. GEORGE TOWN : Six High Court judges were honoured at a rare judicial elevation ceremony here today, reviving a long-standing tradition with roots dating back over two centuries. Today's ceremony presided over by senior judge Justice Rozana Ali Yusoff was the first to honour six judges at once. They were: Quay Chew Soon, Anand Ponnudurai, Azizan Arshad, Kenneth Yoong Ken Chinson St James, Fathiyah Idris and Rofiah Mohamad. Penang Bar chair Gowri Subbaiyah said the elevation ceremony usually takes place only when judicial commissioners are confirmed as High Court judges, 'which usually takes two to three years'. However, some among the six judges had been confirmed over the past three years but had not been formally recognised. 'Since they are still serving here, we felt it was only right to include them,' she said. It is understood that the elevation ceremony was last held in 2017, when Justice Lim Chong Fong, now a judge at the Court of Appeal, was elevated to the High Court. After today's ceremony, Justice St James described his confirmation as both humbling and liberating. 'I'm beholden to no one now. Only to God, my oath, the Constitution, and the rule of law,' he said. Justice Quay said his time in Penang had been both challenging and rewarding. 'I've enjoyed the cases, especially the complex ones, as they test the mind. And I've enjoyed the food and the people even more,' he said, adding that Penang was 'the best station a judge could hope for'. Justice Fathiyah paid tribute to the senior lawyers who helped her grow when she was a sessions court judge in Ipoh. Justice Anand, best known for his work in employment law, said the variety of cases in Penang had pushed him to grow. 'I've had to learn Acts of Parliament I never knew existed. And it's been worth it,' he said. 'My guiding rule is simple. I must be honest with myself. If I sign a judgment, it's because I believe it's the right decision.' The elevation ceremony is believed to have its beginnings in 1808 when the colonial settlement received its charter of justice, which led to the founding of the first formal court. Elevation ceremonies used to include a procession where judges would walk in full regalia from St George's Church to the court building. Although public processions are no longer held, the 'ceremonial spirit lives on', according to lawyer T Tharumarajah, who said the ceremony is aimed at introducing new judges to the public. It also serves as a bridge between the bar and the bench. He said: 'Judges and lawyers are meant to engage (with one another), not keep apart. But after the scandals that rocked the judiciary in the early 2000s, that bond weakened. It shouldn't be that way.'
Free Malaysia Today
3 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Abang Jo to ‘table something' at special Sarawak assembly sitting
Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg is expected to table a bill at a special one-day sitting of the state assembly. PETALING JAYA : The Sarawak legislative assembly will convene on July 7 for a special one-day sitting, with state premier Abang Johari Openg expected to table a bill. The Borneo Post reported that a letter on the special sitting, which starts at 9am, has been sent to assemblymen, although the purpose was not disclosed. Sarawak deputy premier Dr Sim Kui Hian was also reticent about the agenda of the meeting when asked by reporters, saying simply that Abang Johari would be 'tabling something' on the day without elaborating further.
