Marhalim Abas, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, covers Southeast Asian defense. He has worked as a journalist specializing in Southeast Asia defense and security since 1994, initially with the New Straits Times newspaper.
All 122 passengers and crew of a Myanmar air force Avic Y-8F 200 transporter are believed to have been killed after the aircraft crashed into the Andaman Sea on June 7.
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has completed its first foreign deployment of a Boeing P-8A Poseidon, preparing to assign the aircraft to Southeast Asian missions.
The Philippines is likely to order up to 12 more Korean Aerospace FA-50 light attack aircraft, taking the Philippine Air Force closer to its required numbers.
