1. Mahathir has spoken! Let see whether Najib will react. Tun M actually gave a hint on what is happening in the Air Force. Upon reading the article, as usual I started to SMS to some of my friends in service as well as those that had retired.
2. The main issue of contention by the Air Force is that the hardly used, low mileage MIGS should be sold off and replaced with American made assets because it is too expensive to maintain. The 18 MIGS were bought in 1994 and delivered to us in batches from 1996. The deal shocked the Americans as they did not think that we would ever buy Russian made products. There were some back room international drama that followed the purchased.
3. To pacify the US and some of our politically connected local agents, we bought 8 units F-18A and it was delivered in 1997. The whole thing cost Malaysian government RM3.6 billion. The agents for the F18A were shocked on the amount of commission paid to the agents of the MIGS. I was told that the actual cost of the parts for the MIGS is actually dirt cheap but there is “10 Mafia’s” in between KL and Russia that made the cost sky high. That is nothing new actually as there is plentiful of Mafia in all government related businesses.
4. Mahathir in his blog talked about the “source code” which is a controlled by the USA. My source confirms that Mahathir was telling the truth that we cannot fire those missiles without the source code. In fact when we bought the missiles for the F-18A, despite having paid for them it has to be kept in the US for a few years before we can bring it home.
5. What Mahathir failed to highlight is that it is US foreign military policy which is applied on a regional basis. In other words Singapore and Thailand is also subjected to the same policy. It sort of creates a level playing field in the region. In event of war, I suppose the US government (USG) will decide who they like more before giving out the source code. My gut feeling tells me, if we ever go to war with Singapore, the USG will give the source code to both countries. Maybe Singapore will get it 2-3 hours earlier then Malaysia. That is enough to create a decent dent in our defense shield.
6. It goes without saying that since our top brass in TUDM were trained by the Americans, they prefer the American made products. The plan is to decommissioned the MIGs and replace it with American jets. Surely there are business opportunities in both of these transactions for those who are brokered them.
7. In this aspect, I tend to agree with Mahathir. Why do we need to buy jets and paid billions for it and we don’t have the freedom to use it. It is about our sovereignty. That is more priceless. We have to be independent in this aspect. Defense of a nation is a cost in every country. Obviously it is an expensive affair but like insurance we must be able to use it in a timely manner. If we can’t use them, it defeats the purpose of buying the aircraft.
8. The solution is not in replacing the MIGs. It is about maintenance cost issue. We shouldn’t be running away from the problem. The problem is cost and we should address the issue. If maintaining the MIGs cost 3 times more than the F18A, we should be looking at how to reduce it.
9. In my view, we don’t have the necessary political will to manage the “10 Mafias”. On the other hand, maybe we should just buy the made in Malaysia Eagle 150B which is manufactured in Batu Berendam Melaka. It is a lot cheaper to maintain!
References:
(1) Malaysia receives F18-A
(2) Russia sells MiGs and Sukhoi to Malaysia
(3) Eagle Aircraft Manufacturer-CTRM
What ever said, what ever we buy we are made bloody fools, the power of negotiations of our buying party is bleemish!
They have all been intoxicated with women, money, good food, wine, dine and freebies!
Can’t you guys see that!
They need to buy now, the elections is just round the corner, otherwise no money to send to the longhouses in Sabah & Sarawak.
The Peninsular is already a gone case!
If East Malaysian states falls BN & its party clowns all will have to report to PUDU JAIL !
So who cares whose money is being wasted!
JIBBY says must win at all cost!
Can’t you guys understand his MISSION statement!
A few nights ago he reminded his bunch of clowns, it is for BN&UMNO to lose, not for PR to WIN!
Adakah faham maksudnya! Tersurat dan tersirat semua cerita pelik duk keluar..ada plan to kick him out lah, KJ and co having secret plans lah….ada pokok goyang tapi angin tidak ada!
This is politics – all can happen, nothing will stop them, unless god says so! They will bribe god also if they can find his BANK account number !
Dear Azhar, Habib and capt
)
(3:57 pm, 9:16 pm and 5 pm
1. Yes, my opinion only.
2. As for the police: well, it is a necessary evil. We all know the state of the PDRM today i.e. heavily politicised, politically partisan and so on. My topic is “abolishing the army” and not about the police
1. Pros of abolishing the army — primarily, saving the country a lot of money that can be used for economic development and to improve the welfare of the people; and removing the threat of a military coup completely.
2. Cons — at risk of being attacked by another country and with lessened capability to defend oneself
1. Dear Capt, ideas can change the world! Read Robert Downs’ book which has the title “Books That Changed the
World”. It is highly recommended. Bloggers should be aware that they have great power to shape public opinion, change the ideas held by the common people etc. Otherwise, why do you think this ruling regime is spending so much time and effort to persecute a certain “fugitive” blogger and to flood popular blogs with spam, invective and pro-govt propaganda (the UMNO-BN cybertroopers)?
Dr Raffick: Thanks for your opinion! My comment would be that Costa Rica and NZ are showing the way for the rest of the world.
hahaha phua,
,,,they say no man is an island but mine is !…really man, no army or police or anybody except me and my dog…done so with it. Do come for a visit ?…no pussy cats too yaa. hehehe.
Dear Capt
Thanks for the invitation.
You have your own private island …..
like Aristotle Onassis?
Or are you THE Malaysian Robinson Crusoe??
phua,
,,,yoohohoo !…am just the pirateking in the middle of the south china sea. hohohoo !!. pretty crazy fellow if i don’t mind confessing meself-lah. But its a crazier world outside, from what i gather from the internet news too.
,,,in fact, my silence mission at ‘Live and Let Live’ kapas island lifestyle is to admit/rescue abused and unwanted human, rehabilitate and/or retrain them, and find them appropriate homes/jobs back to your world. Done so for past 20+ odd years or so buddy.
cheers
Dear Ottinger,
If you are reading this forum….., Please come back……, I miss you and your comment’s
Forget the past……, forgot where we shared emails…., but I want to hear from you….., Please reply.
balasi,
,,,aiyo !! what happened ?…got swap away by tsunami kah !!…sounds like ‘talak tiga’ already,,,, kena kawin dgn cina buta first according to local custom ma !! hehehe that is why kena berbaik baik berkauman antara bangsa rakyat se-m’sia. …cannot melayu, cina, india-kan antara satu sama lain ma. !!. Now how ??. cabut already…asap pun tiada lagi. hehehe. kena table talk like old days ma !!. potong ayam minum darah itu 88 style. Ipoh mali ppl knows-lah.
,,,o.k. just joking, if you still can’t understand, i will write in French. O.K Bro. Happy New Year 2010 soon….3 hrs and counting…chilling out…aiyo !! what a bloody year ?. Time really running away too fast. yaaa, O.K. to ALL ;-
My Wishes in 2010 God gives you… 12 Month of Happiness,
52 Weeks of Fun, 365 Days Success, 8760 Hours Good Health, 52600 Minutes Good Luck, 3153600 Seconds of Joy…and that’s all! ”
Dear Capt,
Chilling out where….Kapas Island?
By the way Ottingger was a commentator in this blog.
Nice guy…., untill someone from this blog….hurt him so much when he came back from treatmeant for Spinal injury…. He hardly walks…., before treatment…., I don’ know now…., is just human to look up for him.
Just wan’t to cap something……before 2010…, my dog Puppy (she a bitch ) age 8 = 56 human kot..?,…..then two weeks ago my nephew…..sends his bitch to the house since he going to do his masters it’s hardly 2 months……, and she has already chewed everbody’s slippers in the house.
This old lady despice her so much….. but in just about a week she has taken this small bitch as one of hers…,
and the rest is history.
Do We Human’s have anything to Learn About This.
Dear Capt,
You have not replied my mail.
balasi,
May you see the light in the darkness during these challenging times.
May you feel the loving presence of those who hold you in their thoughts and prayers.
May your spirit find what it needs to sustain you on this journey.
May you discover your inner strength and face all difficulties with dignity and grace.
May you be filled with comfort, love, strength, grace and a lasting sense of peace
Phua Kai Lit, I too like the idea of of having no Army. However, I would like to read about its pros and cons in today’s context before agreeing to it. Does having an Army a deterent to any invaders? This would be an interesting topic for discussion unless, of course, it is seditious in malaysia to do so!!
no politicians better !
dear all,
,,,the biggest problem with our country is that the bloody dirty politicians have taken all of us for a long long ride. The “othering” type of politics just for their hidden agenda. We all malaysian must UNITE against such corrupted individuals and parties. Tak kira bangsa, ugama and fikiran. What is morally wrong cannot be politically right and indeed this is where as Muslim we must be truthful on the subject matter. Malay or Non-Malay should not blind us malaysian apart by these politicians from all political parties. Its an old divide and rule strategy utilized by the British which presently being used for certain selfish hidden agenda and hiding their bloody corrupted dealings from the public/rakyat. In the end, who lose out ??..its the nation and the future generation to suffer bcos we close our eyes to these nonsense-lah. These bitterness within the malays, the chinese, the indian and our brother/sister across in east m’sia must be brought to the open/discussed objectively/changes done/sacrifices/recognition etc…integrate together and move forward to face the challenges together as a one-nation.
,,,at the rate we are free falling, the solid ground is just a few secs away !!..terkechai nanti Yeop Oii !! pull the rip cord NOW !! or else we are dead.
,,,O.K.-lah Selamat Tahun Baru 2010 and lets be honest to ourselves b4 we can change others yaa.
Salam…muhibah yaa kawan kawan bloggers.
Well, thought better contribute some comments before post Tutup..so here goes…
There are normally 2 sides in a coin, unless it’s a freak coin with only 1 side !!
Zahid talking about replacement, while Mad hatter advocate retain and refurbish / extend (can no longer order – no more kuasa, mah).
Zahid side of the coin – new purchases means NEW opportunities for the well connected…
( some dapat Jackpot….instant millionaires ! tak payah details, kan?).
Mad hatter side of the coin – continue to maintain / extend shelf life, even though costs may be high…
Effect …. Current contractors / suppliers continue to enjoy the current opportunities.
Unfortunately, the end user ie. the Air Force – have no final say, except maybe to highlight certain issues.
Question – did the Air Force ask for the MIG29 in the first place ??
Answer – No ! Decision made by the powers that be.
Another Question – Why the maintenance of MIG29 outsourced to civilian 3rd parties ?
Whose idea was it ?
Just consider the following points, amongst many others :
1. Military secrets are involved and yet a bunch of civilians have free access to such info (which can easily be leaked out to outside parties)
2. What will happen if there’s a slip up made during periodic maintenance that could have lead to an air crash ?
How will the Air Force carrry out its investigations to determine the cause of crash and who to punish ?
( remember that the Military has no jursidiction over civilians, except maybe in war time)
3. Last but not least, yes……of course, the costs factor in outsourcing …
- the company concerned has a workforce on its payroll that need to be paid (probably better than those serving Air Force Engineers / technicians).
- need to make profit by marking up costs of spares, overtime claims, etc
- contributions to certain privileged group in various forms ( presents, parties, donations,…Corporate Responsibilities ???)
If not mistaken, Air Forces have their own Engineering Wing with trained and qualified personnel.
If such technical maintence are outsourced , what then are their functions ?
Finally, to cut down costs, All big tickets hardware should be purchased on a G2G basis.
And the decision on the hardware selection should be the End Users …. not some armchairs suits who don’t use the hardware at all !!
Maybe the whole Military leadership need to think out of the box – why should their needs be determined by civilians, erh ?
Afterall, field evaluation, demos, operational tests had been carried out – they should know which product is good and reliable that suits their needs.
If the Gomen don’t have the funds, doesn’t mean the Military has to accept some inferior substitutes which caused operational headaches later on.
That’s it…… time for dinner. Chow !
Dear Azhar 12:51 pm
1. Singapore is a military threat to Malaysia? I don’t think so. If there is any threat, it is Chinese forces claiming sovereignty over islands in the South China Sea such as the Paracels and Spratleys.
2. We need regime change in BOTH Malaysia and Singapore! Both regimes are ruled by repressive elites (the Singapore political elite is also corrupt i.e. disguised corruption in the form of very high salaries. But to be fair, the Little Red Dot is doing a better job of providing for its citizens)
After regime changes, both nations can form an economic union while retaining two different political systems.
(From my reading of the situation in the Singapore blogs, the PAP regime in Singapore – or at least LKY himself – prefers a corrupt BN govt in Malaysia to a new PR government with PAS in it. Also, a misruled Malaysia is a weaker economic competitor and also serves as an “example” in PAP propaganda to tell the Singaporeans why they should continue to vote for the the PAP.
The PAP was shaken up by the General Election results in Malaysia. Malaysian bloggers were quickly invited to a forum held at a think tank in Singapore soon after the GE results).
P.S. A demilitarised Malaysia does not mean a totally defenceless Malaysia. The national police can maintain paramilitary units. And the country can continue to be protected under the Five Power agreement.
Dear KL Phua (circa. 2.04PM)(sorry, couldn’t resist
),
1. PLEASE Don’t put words into my proverbial mouth.
2. Your opinion only. The people of the respective countries are the ones to decide.
ps. My opinion of the polis capabilities well documented, but you seem to ignore this, wonder why??
Phua, o.k got your name right this time round and would like to share my experience and my take…..yoo !!.
,,,This was a common conceit among bloggers of my generation. We would reveal what was hidden, muddled or distorted. The truth would set everyone free. It should/could/would sustained good government. We were democracy’s watchdogs and clarifiers. BUT one thing I learned is that these satisfying ideas are at best simplifications—and at worst illusions.
,,,Truth comes in infinite varieties; every story can have many narratives. There are always new facts, and sometimes today’s indisputable fact qualifies or rebuts yesterday’s.
,,,I started with the naive notion that, by exposing and explaining how the world worked, I would in some small way contribute to better government and a saner society. BUT what I discovered firsthand is what I already knew intuitively: Democracy is a messy, often shortsighted, unreasoned and selfish process. People have interests, beliefs and prejudices that, once firmly entrenched, are not easily dislodged—and certainly not by logic or evidence.
,,,Good information does not inexorably lead to good government. “Never underestimate the difficulty of changing false beliefs by facts,”
,,,You get my drift ?. And I rest my case. …Selamat Tahun Baru 2010..just 37 hrs away buddy !!..so make your wish list ??. hahaha…but take it easy, the sun will still be there tomorrow…and moody moods for some…. if you can’t beat them, join me on my island. hehehe.
cheers !.
PirateKing
Dear irs 8:30 am
I suggest you read up on the history of Costa Rica first, my friend.
Dear Azhar and Balasi
What seems like a fantasy today (abolishing the army) can become a reality tomorrow. The Chartists of England (“People’s Charter”) made demands for political reform that seemed utopian way back in the mid-1800s. Today, almost all their demands have been met in the democracies of Western Europe.
Costa Rica abolished its army after an attempted coup in the late 1940s. They have survived without an army since.
Think of all the money Malaysia can save by abolishing its army.
As for the police, it just needs to be de-politicised after a regime change. And promotion is based on competence and respect for the rule of law.
Singapore is just a small island, much like Costa Rica.
Perhaps you should bring your message of peace across the Tebrau Straits first and see if they will welcome you with open arms there.
As for me, I don’t think I can trust the polis with much, looking at how they stumbled at basic crime prevention… PR (Public Relations aah, not the other PR) for them is a disaster. Border security, a sponge has less holes…
Well Pulau Batu Putih is just a small island already belong to Singapore. But what is the signification achievement of acquiring PBP in term of defence strategy to Singapore? Well very soon Singapore will claim the airspace around PBP and another bonus to their air defence capability.
Dear Fauzi,
This we have to thank the guy from JELEBU…., it hardly rains there……., but now it rain’s cat and dog’s everyday.
The inferior complex have gone to our professionals and it tears to see it in the Armed forces. MIGs are a liberating forces icon and as Fauzi & Azhar opined the problem is borne and prolonged through human factors. Un-patriotic short sighted greedy men who think that conflict is 2nd to grandiose appetite and gluttony. It appears that here in Malaysia treason and sedition is only when you dare put the Royals and the Politicians in their place-meaning that they are/must be accountable and that all men are equal.
The milking and deliberate tampering of our defense in anyway tantamount to anything criminal but business and it is time we buck the trend i.e. anyone is capable of high treason especially when his/her actions infringe on security matters.
We are inconsistent and lack direction in our defense policy so much that we buy weapons and war material to please brokers and external powers. Also we as a people have inculcated the shopping complex mentality- buy buy buy, buying every thing that marketers trust into our heads as needs.
Lord knows our defense personnel would act as soldiers- trained professionals – but everyone wants a BMW, BRAND name. We spent enough to have harness our own indigenous capability by now. China and India have done it and they are still in the developing process while buying SUKHOIs and lots of toys. Yet if we were to take a closer look, these two NATIONS have expanded their indigenous missile technology and their numbers with respectable sovereign commitment.
In short Missiles is the way to go and this effort must be quadruple with a NATIONAL urgency until we can actually circumvent the globe.
On another note; Phua Kai Lit stop talking crap; like it or not Costa Rica is part colony part local administered and they have very limited choice even in their mandate. You folks fantasies every thing that comes from the Western media as unadulterated scripture.
any1 wanna buy my canggih state-of-duh-future-art mach10 fighter planes? Whole squadron going cheap but i shall hang onto the source code for the next say, 50years?
No wonder some spore airforce aces boasted of controlling our airspace up to Segamat within 30mins! By that time, add 10mins more, sg besi and even tudm airbases in alor setar would have been cratered, potholed and good enuff for the fire engines (if they had been spared lah)…
Excellent Idea Dr! Malaysia had acquired Eagle UAV at the price of about RM 40m, a joint project between CTRM and BAe. Is the Eagle UAV still operational? Why not convert Eagle UAV to CUAV so that it can attack ground targets. The Americans and Israel are leaders in CUAV and we should be conducting our R&D in this direction.
On the actual topic for discussion I believe our defence posture is still not adequate and worst still when the RMAF decide to cocoon most of the MiG 29 and phase out the fleet. We need not only in term of sophisticated fighter but also in term of numbers. The MiG 29 is not only a superior interceptor but also has the capability of accurate ground attack and with in flight refueling it’s operational range has been extended. We need to upgrade its avionics including survival suits and weapons capability. It will be an excellent platform for local industry to develop our capability to integrate avionics, weapons and flight control software. We should work with the Russian to upgrade the MiG 29 and possibly manufacture the aircraft in Malaysia with collaboration with other friendly countries.
In term of high cost of maintenance there should be a study done to determine what is the life cycle cost and compare to other MiG 29 operators such as India, China etc. Is ATSC charging the GOM at very inflated price? If so the person responsible should be sacked but ATSC must be supported in order to support the fleet. There are many students sponsored by MARA doing aerospace engineering in Russian. What are the plans for these students when they are graduated? Can’t we employed the Russian aerospace graduates in ATSC and develop the maintenance technology to reduce fleet life cycle cost and also local manufacturing capability. There is opportunity for Malaysia to progress with the present problem provide there is a political will to develop our local defence industries. MiG 29 is the good platform to start with.
Dr,
If my memory serves me right, I was at LIMA 97 or 99 and guess what I saw then?
An American F18/F16 which airmen say he has clocked more than 5000hours and our MIG 29 which our airmen says he has only clocked 500hrs. The surprise is that the same MIG29 which was parked there with our Malaysia Air Force insignia has a welded/epoxyed patch at the tail-end which was brown-orangy colour instaed of the green for the whole aircraft. That says a lot about the durability of the MIG 29…how old was the MIG29 then, 5 years???
The big question is why display it at LIMA…or the other aircraft has more problem…?
Just curious if can still search the web for a photo of the same aircraft during that time…
The last thing is, is our peoples competent in doing the maintenance? What happen to transfer of technology during the initial maintenance contract by the Russies?
Will our Scorpene have the same problem with the Ombak Laut contract?
Ahill
Why now why me ?
Why has the old goat have to bleat now only?
Do not tell me the PTU and the KSU Mindef does not know about this stupid deals with the Yankees !
Do not tell me they hid it from MAMAK Ton!
VERY Good, the next we will be told that if Malaysia goes to war with anybody, the Yankees will decide at that point whether spares will be shipped out or delivered to us?
Depending who the enemy IS !????
I have said many times, the day this country goes to war we would not have any spares coming forth…whatever we have will be “pakai habis dan buang kat longkang sahaja”!
Must stand by “lastic” .. meriam buluh dan carbide, buat lah bom kampung sendiri.
WHY get married and leave your wife in somebody’s hands!
SIMPLE ANALOGY! ANSWER ME PLEASE!
Dear Phua,
I think it should be the other way around. Have a nice day.
Weren’t all of these equipment purchased during TDM’s reign? Isn’t’ it curious that TDM didn’t know about the source code or the existence of those middleman mafia? It sound fishy to me that TDM is revealing this information now.
I don’t trust that slimy bovine excrement even for one minute. He’s up to something and I don’t think it will be good for us, the rakyat! (look at what happen to us with the North South highway. It was suppose to be a major infrastructure work for the benefit of the rakyat but in the end we are being swindled and conned out of our money and livelihood and it extend to our children too). So I say, we better be careful with what TDM is saying or revealing. He has his agenda and as a rule, his agenda will be detrimental to the Malaysian people.
Nick
(1) He did revealed a few years ago after the small spat with singapore. In fact he said that he would not have approved the purchased if he knew about the source code. Logic will show that any PM cannot expect to know every single detail.
(2) NS highway is a project to enrich UMNO coffers via UEM
Aiya, our ummo cybertroopers sure have the capabilities hack/crack the source code to fire the missiles, right?
They had hacked MT website before…cracking the fighter jet weapon systems must be easy job for them…just to make sure they can get the missiles flying at the correct, correct, correct directions…
Let’s see…when we bought those MiG29, Dr.M was the PM. Could it be about the dismantling his legacy really or that his cronies are missing out millions on their “technical service fees” or that maybe just maybe he really is worried that the country cannot afford the extra-inflated cost of new fighters…!!
Since when has he ever been worried about spending OUR money.
Less than 15 years and considered old and difficult to maintain? This is pure BS. The USAF is operating F15, F16, F18, A10 and B52s that are much, much older than that. The usual story is poor maintenance and planning for spare parts.
Of course it is also more profitable to sell them off and buy new ones since somebody can collect commission on both deals. And which aircraft to choose? The one that pays the most commission of course.
Kok
I think our Nuri is older.. bought in 1968? Anyway the issue is not age. The airforce is saying that it cost them 60% of their total aircraft maintenance cost.
They should manage the cost and not change the aircraft
The news about the maintenance cost of the MiG-29N that is operated by TUDM is not new. When the aircraft were delivered to TUDM Kuantan in 1995, the first 2 years spares & maintenance support was inclusive in the contract. The Russians left their giant Ilyushin transporter and the maintenance crew there for the period.
Prior to the end of the maintenance period, the Russians prepared a list of critical parts & spares necessary to be purchased in order to provide maintenance to these aircraft. This list was then given to the private company that was awarded the followon maintenance of the aircraft. It was later published (in the late 1990′s) in the magazine Military Technology a statement by the Russian military industry spokesperson that our local company did not adhere to the the list provided in the purchase of the spares and that company had instead shopped around and received incompatible parts (remember reading something like buying the parts from an Indian supplier who provided parts for the MiG-29A that is incompatible to the MiG-29N operated by TUDM). That led to a drastic drop in the availability of the TUDM MiG-29 due to maintenance issues and that fact was highlighted within the defence industry circles, questioning the servicibility of the MiG-29 outside of the Eastern Bloc, hence forcing the Russian military industry to counter the negative news.
In any case, appended below is a current statement published in Military Technology. I would like to draw your attention to the statement made by Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport that it is willing to buy back the remaining 16 units MiG-29Ns that TUDM has and replace it with another batch of 6 units Sukhoi SU-30MKMs that TUDM has just started operating. (This glaring statement has ‘escaped’ our news thus far)(I wonder why
)
Comment by Dr. Ezio Bonsignore, Editor-in-Chief of MILITARY TECHNOLOGY
08:23 GMT, November 2, 2009 The Malaysian Government has indicated that it intends to retire its entire fleet of MiG-29N interceptors by the end of 2010. The government is expected to save RM260 million ($75.68 million, €51.30 million) annually by phasing out the aircraft. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the money saved would be utilised to pay for the maintenance of other aircraft and systems which were still being used in the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).
He said the MiG-29N fighter jets would be phased out as it was difficult and costly to maintain some old components and systems for the fighter jets.
“The weaponry for the fighter jets has reached the end of its lifespan and extending the lifespan would be costly and would not be viable,” he told Parliament. Ahmad Zahid said this when replying to Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan (BN-Kota Belud) who wanted to know the rationale in phasing out the Russian-made MiG-29N jet fighters.
The minister said the RMAF planned to replace the MiG-29N fighter jets with the ‘Multi Role Combat Aircraft’ (MRCA) for air operations. “After the MiG-29N fighter jets have been phased out, their role would be carried out by the Sukhoi SU-30MKM which is among the most sophisticated long-range fighter jets,” he said.
The MiG-29N aircraft played the role of interceptor jets and 18 of the fighter jets were purchased for the RMAF in 1993. However, two of the aircraft crashed in 1998 and 2005.
The Malaysian decision marks the “end of an era”, as Malaysia was the first non-Soviet block country to acquire Russian combat aircraft. Malaysia is now expected to float a request for proposal (RFP) for 18 new-generation fighter aircraft to replace the MiG-29Ns. This may take the form of long-expected follow-on order for a second batch of F/A-18s (these would now be in the SUPER HORNET version), but thinking in Kuala Lumpur appears to be in favour of an open tender. Circulation of the RFP is expected sometimes next year after completion of a study on the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s fighter requirements. It seems likely that all major combat aircraft manufactures will be invited to submit their bids. Given the current emphasis on bolstering its indigenous defence industry, Malaysia would probably include not only the usual request for offsets, but also technology transfer and industrial partnership clauses.
In the meantime, Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport has already offered to buy back the remaining 16 MiG-29Ns and in turn supply the RMAF with a follow-on batch of six Su-30MKMs at what is described as a “fair price”.
The RMAF’s plans for the purchase of a new fleet of fighter aircraft are, however, facing very serious financial obstacles. The global economic downturn appears to have been a damper for the Malaysian defence procurement. Since 2008, Kuala Lumpur has been careful not to announce any major orders but rather proceed with ongoing commitments. The defence procurement budget is under strain, as the government focuses on economic recovery.
The 10th Five-Year Malaysian Plan (2011-1015), which is to the submitted to Parliament in June 2010, is expected to propose procurement and development funding to the tune of RM7 billion (some $1.6 billion) for the entire defence and security sector, with some RM5 billion being allocated for defence proper. It is further understood that nearly half the total amount will be invested in order to replenish war stocks (missiles, bombs and ammunition), with relatively little money being left for new procurement efforts. Also, at least 30 per cent of the available money will be reserved for purchases from the national defence industry. Clearly enough there is no way the purchase of 18 new-generation aircraft could be financed under these conditions.
—-
By Dr. Ezio Bonsignore, Editor-in-Chief of MILITARY TECHNOLOGY (MILTECH)
Dear Azhar,
I believe what you wrote and hope the MOD and the Government will seriously look into Rosoboronexports offer….., will be just great to have another 18 Su-30MKM’s, ( only pay for twelve ) even if you accuse me of putting all the eggs in one basket.
When Malaysia purchased the MIG-29, Times magazine had already reported that it is inferior to F-18 in terms of maintenance. The engines and airframe have very poor life span, which was not a problem for the Russian as they could get them cheap from the factory but will be terribly costly for TUDM. The Defence Minister is probably right in phasing them out.
18 units of MiG-29N’s were purchased in 1994 at a total cost of RM1.6 billion, including training and spares (less a toy boy asstronaught
)
The deliveries began the same year and was completed in 1995. No western aircraft of the same caliber could be delivered within the same time frame.
On the same note, the deliveries of the MiG-29N gave the TUDM an edge that no other nation in South East Asia had in terms of capabilities, weaponary or deployment.
Equipped with the RD-33 (modified to give an 800-hour operational life cycle), the modular engine can be field stripped and replaced within 1 hour, the avionics systems and most components are also of modular design and field replaceable. The Phazotron radar system was capable of detecting targets up to 250kms, tracking up to 10 simultaniously & targeting 2 at 100kms. The look down/shoot down radar is also powerful enough to operate in extreme ECM environments and proved capable to continue to function despite jamming. This capability allowed the MiG-29Ns to continue to operate autonomously even when ground based radars are down. In addition to the active systems, the MiG-29N came with an IRST (Infra-Red Search & Track) + Laser Range Finder that allowed the MiG-29Ns to ‘jump’ other aircraft without giving away any radar signals that the enemy may detect.
Most importantly, the Russians delivered the MiG-29Ns to Kuantan ready to fight. Everything required for the aircraft to be operational from day 1 was delivered together, including the kitchen sink. There were power generators, electronic test equipments, spares, even a ZiL 6×6 fire tender (fire engine). But piece of equipment delivered that raised the most eye brows & alarm bells (depending on which side of the border you are on) were the weaponary. The MiG-29N were delivered together with a full combat load of advanced missles, the Vympel R-27R1 and R-73E1 Air-to-Air Missles. Coupled with the advanced Helmet Mounted Sight of the MiG-29N, TUDM jumped from being a CIW air force to a regional aerial superpower overnight. MiG-29Ns flying off Labuan were able to track, intercept and ‘destroy’ aircraft takingoff from Kuching. Even the USAF F-15 squadrons based in Hawaii were sent to Malaysia to train with TUDM, specifically to train against the MiG-29Ns in air-to-air combat manouvers. And in most of these encounters, the MiG-29N were proven superior to the F-15, especially in close combat manouvers where the MiG-29Ns could approach silently from the rear (IRST targeting), better in dog fighting situations, and in close engagements, the MiG-29Ns could use the HMS to engage the F-15 at angles up to 6o degrees using the R-73E1 missle’s off boresight capability to achieve kills quickly; while the F-15 armed with the Sidewinders can only engage from the rear. The US quickly learned from these tests and engagements including those with the German Air Force which operated MiG-29As inheraited from the former East German airforce (more on these later as it is significant with what our learned DM has said). The US then started their own development for a Helmet Mounted Sight and the AIM-9X which was only commissioned in 2003 as the Joint Helmet Mounted Sight (or something like that).
The MiG-29N could scramble from ground and climb to 10,000 feet within 3 minutes from alert and provide CAP over the surrounding area immediately.
The deliveries did not stop here as the Russians continued the MiG-29N upgrade program with the installation of the in-flight air-to-air refuelling probe and engagement upgrade of the Phazotron radar plus the R-77 missle guidance capability giving the MiG-29N a true twin target BVR (Beyond Visual Range) engagement capability. This upgrades were carried out by the Russians under the name of the local company awarded the maintenance and upgrade contract and deliveries completed in 1998.
Dear Dr,
I love your idea about using Eagle 150B as our MRCA replacing MIG’s …. hahaha.. we should armed it with AIM-9J Sidewinder also…. hahaha…
Nah! We should be using our ‘WAU’ bulan, loaded with C4 (Local Made Suicide UAV) and crash it into any attacker!Malaysia Bole!
C++
If you fire the sidewinder, would the missile go forward or the momentum would push the aircraft backwards
Dr Rafick,
I love all your comments. Maybe this is the part where genius Malaysians that worked with defense industry abroad, rise a with a contender jet…the M’sia Eagle would be a good start…protecting M’sian sovereignity.
I bet if you aproach the skunkworks, the guys that made all those wonderful stealth jets, F35, F22 F117 or whatever…& try to bribe them in order to get the source codes…they would not accept it. They build the jets to protect Americans…& get rich in the process…
They are very Patriotics…just like us.
Dr.Rafick,
The air craft will go self control mode and find it’s way back to Batu Berendum….., if not the main range.
Balasi
You just made me laugh…. out loud
what would the defence minister say hey? i think all the easy money making business by just being middle man should stop..!!
Dr,
Your las sentence of malaysia made Eagle 150B maintainence cost is cheaper may not be right.
Do your remember after 308, some of the state government change the exco car from Proton to Foreign brand. The reason is proton car maintenance cost is higher than foreign car. Malaysia boleh……..
Vp
aiyo.. i was trying to make a joke.. u did not get it. I guess the joke is on me
again proton maintenance is high for the obvious reasons.. middleman mafia
Dear vp,
All hitting around the bush to releash STRESS…..
Dear Dr Raffick
I understand that although you are a medical doctor, you have a military background.
What do you think of the idea of carrying out what Costa Rica has done i.e. abolish the army and replace it with a national police instead? They did this in the late 1940s.
All the money saved can be used to improve the welfare of the people of Malaysia instead.
Costa Rica is a beacon of democracy and a model
social welfare state in the horrible mess of Central American today.
KL Phua,
Surely you are joking!!
Leave the entire lands to the polis??? We would probably be conquered but CANNOT speak out instead threatened with sedition or something stupid like intimidating the polis…
Phua
Respectfully, I disagree.
We need all 3 services- Army,Navy and Air Force. The sheer expanse of Malaysia territorial areas demands a complete defense force. The airforce plays a vital role here.
Costa Rica and New Zealand has phased out their air force to a minimum but there is a defense pact with their neighbors.
For Costa Rica- Its with the US
For New Zealand – Its with the Aussies and USA
I believe there are some financial arrangement as well as the use of their territorial areas as attacked platform to other areas.
Puah,
,,,do indeed, have a certain appreciation for a fighting military doctrine that enjoys credibility and authority; but none would go so far as to argue that doctrine alone can win a war, any more than doctrine alone could lose one.
,,,presently, Modern military doctrine is markedly technocratic in character. This is a reflection of the enormous influence that technological systems exert on the conduct of war, and also of the belief that doctrine itself should have a scientific basis, which is usually summarized in terms of a small number of principles of war.