Govt urged to get sophisticated radar detectors in mission to find MH370

The missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370 has driven in the need for the country to have a sophisticated radar system not just for defence purposes but also for search and rescue operations.

In fact, on March 17, Defence Minister and Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein gave his word that once the operation to find the missing airplane was over, there would be a review of the nation's radar system.

According to Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's (UTM) geostrategist Prof Dr Azmi Hassan from the GeoSpatial Institute, the radar detector which Malaysia should possess must be able to detect objects within a large and unlimited area.

"For instance, Australia and the United States of America are among the countries which have sophisticated radars which are linked to a network called 'Jindalee' which can detect objects in an area of 2,000km.

"At the same time, they also have the 'Synthetic Aperture Radar' (SAR) which can capture images clearly and detect object coordinates accurately," he said when contacted by Bernama today.

He said Malaysia's radar detectors were sufficient and could perform the tasks they had been programmed for.

He added that Malaysia used the 'Primary Radar' which was located on the earth's surface and not in outer space.

"I suggest that before the RAZAKSAT2 satellite is launched into space next year, it should be equipped with SAR network technology," he said.

Azmi said with the technology, Malaysia would not only just be sending out a satellite but also one with radar technology.

Meanwhile, a former president of the Armed Forces Veterans Association, Datuk Mohamad Abdul Ghani said the radar detectors currently used in Malaysia were inadequate and had to be upgraded.

"The government should have radar detectors throughout the country which can detect airplanes leaving and entering Malaysian airspace, whether they are flying low or high," he said.

He said a non-functioning radar could result in aircraft entering and encroaching into the country.

He added that the government's radar detectors now were insufficient and had to be increased in number.

"Public security should not be taken lightly, and the purchase of high technology radars would reinstate the country's integrity after it had been belittled by other nations," he said.

He added that the missing MH370 flight should not be the government's only focus but the incursions by foreign aircraft into the country must also be given serious attention.

"The government should make long-term investments in radars as this is not just for the sake of today's generation but also for the future," he said.

Flight MH370 to Beijing which carried 227 passengers and 12 crew was lost about an hour after departing KL International Airport at 12.41am on March 8. It was scheduled to arrive in Beijing at 6.30am the same day.

The on-going operation to find the missing airplane involved 26 countries.