Malaysia becomes the first international customer to adopt Thales’ new generation of resilient high-data-rate High Frequency (HF) XL radio stations. The contract covers over 100 complete vehicle-mounted stations.

Thales holds a leading position in tactical radio communications in Malaysia, having delivered more than 10,000 radios to the Malaysian Army over the last 25 years.

The contract was signed by Lt. Col Shane Chin, Director of Business Development, ADS, and Olivier Achard, Vice-President Export Sales, Secure Communication & Information Systems, ​ Thales.

On the first day of DSEI 2025, Thales and local Malaysian partner Advanced Defence Systems (“ADS”) Sdn. Bhd. sign a contract for the delivery of HF XL TRC 3900 complete vehicle-mounted radio stations, including radios, amplifiers and antennas.

With this contract, Malaysia becomes the first country in Asia to benefit from innovative HF XL technology, first unveiled at Eurosatory 2024. HF XL provides ten times the data rate of current HF systems and ensures resilient long-range communications in constrained environments, perfectly suited to Malaysia’s tropical terrain. This solution provides the full advantages of HF, including secure transmissions, low operating costs and long-range coverage in remote areas or environments poorly served by satellite. It enhances resilience against jamming and enables the transfer of large data files such as images and video streaming.

The complete range of TRC 3900 HF XL radio stations also includes 20W manpack solutions for long-range mobile autonomous force needs up to 1000km, as well as 400 W & 1KW radio solutions, that enable deployed command posts to communicate with command headquarters and ​ with other units in remote areas of the theatre of operations, over distances of up to 5,000 km.

Thales deep expertise in tactical and sovereign communications in Malaysia is undisputed, with more than 10,000 radios delivered to the Malaysian Army to-date. The HF XL radios will be fully interoperable with existing radios in the Army’s inventory, positioning Thales as a key partner to Malaysia in secure communications. ​ This position is reinforced with the support of ADS, an established Malaysian champion in the defence and security sectors, with both parties committed towards strengthening long-term support and services to the Malaysian Defence Forces.

“This first export success confirms the relevance of HF XL in meeting the needs of armed forces operating in constrained environments. By combining innovation with interoperability with existing fleets, Thales provides its customers with a robust, high-performance and future-ready solution.” said Christophe Groshenry, Vice President Business Line Radiocommunications Products, Thales.