An Australian P-8A Poseidon aircraft carrying senior Malaysian government observers took off from Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Base Subang for a maritime domain awareness flight that proved informative.
During the flight, a representative from the Malaysian National Security Council explained how important it was for Australia and Malaysia to work together, now more than ever.
"We need to share information, work together and learn from each other," he said.
"There is a lot of competition around this maritime area, and we need to build upon the work we are already doing together to maintain peace and prosperity in our region."
The Poseidon was one of three deployed to Malaysia for Operation Gateway in late November and early December 2025.
The deployment of three jets is a larger footprint than usual for the P-8A fleet, signalling the potential for a 'new normal' for Operation Gateway, as the need to ensure regional security and stability becomes a more pressing priority for both Australia and Malaysia.
First Secretary Defence at the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, Jessica Baigent, believes that the Australia and Malaysia are well aligned in their approach to regional security.
"Malaysia's Defence White Paper and Australia's National Defence Strategy both emphasise the importance of a coordinated, whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach to protect our security and meet the strategic challenges we face together," Ms Baigent said.
'There is a lot of competition around this maritime area, and we need to build upon the work we are already doing together to maintain peace and prosperity in our region.'
"That is why today's maritime domain awareness flight is different - we're sharing the experience with Malaysian whole-of-government colleagues.
"Operation Gateway has been successful thanks to the coordinated efforts by so many professional Australian and Malaysian aviators, policy makers and legal officers across government for decades."
Established in 1981, Operation Gateway is one of the Australian Defence Force's longest-running military operations.
"After 45 years, we are continually strengthening Operation Gateway to meet our contemporary needs, enhance our interoperability and support Malaysia and Australia's security in a rapidly evolving regional security environment," Ms Baigent said.
"Clocking up over 3500 sorties with the Malaysian Armed Forces, we are still finding new ways to modernise and deepen our collaboration."
During a visit to RMAF Butterworth, Deputy Chief of Joint Operations, Major General Hugh McAslan, stressed the importance of building upon National Defence Strategy outcomes; namely, strengthening allied partnerships and deterring adversaries in the world's busiest commercial shipping area.
"All of your involvement will be key in modernising Operation Gateway, one of the ADF's longest-enduring operations, which first began in the early 1980s," Major General McAslan said.
"Our relationship with Malaysia is incredibly important for Australia, and it's incredibly important to the Malaysians as well - particularly now as we work in an environment that is becoming more contested.
"As Malaysia bolsters their fleet, we look forward to the day when Malaysia's maritime surveillance aircraft fly alongside Australia's P-8A Poseidons in future maritime domain awareness patrols."
