DSA 2026: DEFTECH and UMPSA unveil autonomous ground vehicle

The Tactical Utility Autonomous Hybrid (TUAH) vehicle is seen displayed at DSA 2026.

Malaysian defence company DEFTECH and a local university, the Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al‑Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), unveiled a medium‑sized unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2026 exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, held from 20 to 23 April.

The UGV, designated Tactical Utility Autonomous Hybrid (TUAH), is described by DEFTECH as a driverless tactical vehicle intended for both civilian and military applications, including reconnaissance, surveillance, and border security missions.

DEFTECH said the TUAH is designed to operate using localised edge artificial intelligence (AI) rather than relying on continuous network connectivity. When communications links are available, operational data can be transmitted to a centralised command system.

According to the company, the UGV’s onboard data storage and transmission architecture enables operators and command centres to maintain consolidated situational awareness across deployed platforms.

“All monitoring data is transmitted, and threat monitoring is analysed at the edge and server level using AI, giving both the operator on the ground and the command centre a holistic view of the environment,” a UMPSA official said.

While the current configuration is focused on intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance roles, the TUAH is designed to support additional missions through modular payload integration, including potential combat applications. DEFTECH added that the system is intended to operate as part of a networked fleet, rather than as a standalone platform.

Development of TUAH’s core software began at UMPSA in 2015 for civilian use. The programme later expanded to include national security applications following UMPSA’s collaboration with DEFTECH.