Tcom Maritime Surveillance Aerostats For Malaysia

The Malaysian Government wants to procure aerostat systems to enhance maritime security over the contested Sabah territory of the island of Borneo.

Malaysian Bintang Kencana signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tcom to provide Malaysian Government with aerostat systems for maritime domain awareness, according to an official statement. 

The Sabah region of northern Borneo is Malaysian territory, though Malaysia's claim to the area is disputed by a group of citizens from the Southern Philippines. These aggressors typically use small wooden boats to travel stealthily into Sabah from the Southern Philippines. These craft often pass undetected by conventional ground-based radar, and move completely unseen under the cover of darkness. TCOM's elevated surveillance solutions can monitor these waterways around the clock, day or night.

The memorandum was signed by Tcom’s president, Ron Bendlin during the U.S. - Malaysia Business Forum in New York City.

TCOM was one of only six U.S. companies in attendance at the forum, and is the only defense systems provider among the group.

TCOM's persistent surveillance aerostat systems can provide Malaysian security forces with comprehensive maritime surveillance, operating around the clock, solving critical domain awareness challenges in an area where armed incursions into Sabah are common.

The aerostat systems are optimized for the maritime domain, and are equipped with advanced sensor payloads including radar and Electro-Optical Infrared (EOIR) day/night cameras that relay accurate, actionable data to decision makers. Security forces will be able to detect threats that would have previously gone unseen. Further, forces will be able to detect threats more quickly, which enables more time to evaluate, engage and neutralize the threat.