05 Still in Bandung

052 — CDF Gen Affendi Buang in the cockpit of M44-05 when he visited PTDI facilities in Bandung in June, 2022. ATM

SHAH ALAM: 05 still in Bandung. It appears that I was wrong to post that the first MSA to return to Malaysia after the conversion process was M44-05. In fact tail number M44-05 is still at the PTDI facility in Bandung as part of the conversion process.

The presence of the M44-05 in Bandung was confirmed when CDF General Affendi Buang visited the PTDI facility on June 22, as posted by the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) headquarters. Affendi and his delegation visited the PTDI facility in the sidelines of the Malaysian-Indonesia High Level Committee (HLC) meeting which is taking place from June 22 to 24. During his visit to PTDI, Affendi and delegation were given a briefing on the MSA process by the company officials and took a close inspection of M44-05.

General Affendi and his delegation looking at the mission console installed likely on 05.

From the picture, it appears that apart from the mission equipment, the MSA is fitted with two observation stations just ahead of the rear side doors.

Gen Affendi posing with PTDI officials when he inspected the inside of the MSA. On the far left is Capt Esther Gayatri Saleh, the company chief test pilot. ATM

So if its not tail number 05, so which MSA aircraft landed on June 17? Honestly I have no idea but rest assured that one did as confirmed by three sources including one PTDI official. They, however, will not reveal the tail number. It may well be tail number 03 which flew to Bandung barely two weeks after 05 in September 2020.

Gen Affendi being briefed on the MSA programme by PTDI officials.

PTDI also confirmed that the second MSA aircraft was expected to fly to Kuching next month and the third one in September. From the pictures posted by MAF, I am guessing this time around it will be tail number 05.

— Malaysian Defence

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