The purchase of the Airbus A319 Corporate Jet by Penerbangan Malaysia for use the by government, bring yet another dimension to the long running requirement for the RMAF for the purchase of strategic transporters and airborne refuelers.
In my earlier blog for AWACs I recommended the purchase of a dozen Boeing 737-800/900 by PMB for the RMAF in three configurations, AWACs, Maritime Patrol, and Multi Role Tanker and Transport. It will be cheaper for us to maintain and operate them, I argued.
PMB purchase however, has got my crony alert ringing. Over time actually.
With PMB purchase of the A319, some quarters will proposed that the RMAF purchased a few more examples for the MRTT role just like the Luftwaffe. (They probably have done so)
Indeed the Lufwaffe has four A319 in the MRTT role and one or two for the VVIP transport role.
NATO member Luftwaffe do not need a fleet of A319 for other roles as it can count on the use the organisation AWACS and tanker fleets
An air force as big as the Luftwaffe did not dare to have different type of planes in its fleet. But we already went beyond them havent we?. Malaysia Boleh.
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Getting the PMB to lease the aircrafts is a pretty good idea. And standardizing around a single platform for as many roles as possible is also good.
One thing though, the Luftwaffe’s MRTTs are the A310. This is a shortened version of the A300. The A319 is a derivative of the A320. The A300 and the A320 are quite different.