Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Radar surveillance constitutes a critical component of modern air-defence systems, enabling states to detect, identify, track and respond to aerial activities. This capability is particularly important for Malaysia due to its geographical separation, extensive maritime approaches, large airspace and increasing exposure to foreign military aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unidentified aerial activities. Primary Surveillance Radar (PSR) and Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) perform complementary functions. PSR independently detects airborne objects through reflected electromagnetic signals without target cooperation. SSR relies on aircraft transponders to provide identification and other flight information. This distinction is significant for national air defence because non-cooperative targets may not provide information required by SSR. This study examines the effectiveness of PSR and SSR within Malaysia’s air-defence mechanism through qualitative documentary and case study analysis of international standards, Malaysian aviation policies, surveillance infrastructure, parliamentary records, official defence documents and selected airspace incidents. The findings indicate that Malaysia possesses a credible and increasingly modern surveillance foundation comprising PSR, SSR, Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) and dedicated military radar capabilities. However, effectiveness remains constrained by uneven geographical coverage, equipment availability, low-altitude surveillance challenges, dependence on cooperative systems and fragmented civil-military surveillance functions. The study argues that Malaysia’s challenge extends beyond radar acquisition to the incomplete integration of sensors, surveillance data, institutional responsibilities, and decision-making processes. A layered national air-surveillance architecture integrating PSR, SSR, ADS-B, long-range military radar and complementary sensors within a common operational picture is therefore essential to strengthen situational awareness, response time, and the protection of national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Institution: National Defence University of Malaysia
Language: English
Subfield: Aerospace Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7221364571