SHAH ALAM: The United States today formally handed over the three CN-235 transporters which had been converted to maritime surveillance aircraft (MSA). US Ambassador to Malaysia Edgard D. Kagan was present at the ceremony at the Subang airbase here, together with RMAF chief General Asghar Khan.
The release from the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur:
Kuala Lumpur: On June 27 at Subang Air Force Base, Ambassador Edgard D. Kagan joined General Asghar Khan, Chief of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, to commemorate the conversion of three Royal Malaysian Air Force transport aircraft (CN235) into Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA). The conversion program, which began in 2018 and totaled approximately $60 million U.S. dollars under the Maritime Security Initiative, served as the first major U.S. security grant program in Malaysia.
The CN-235s are now enhanced with maritime surveillance radars, electro-optical infrared turrets, beyond line-of sight communications and roll-on/roll-off system operator stations.โฏ The aircraft are attached to Squadron 1 at Kuching Airbase in Sarawak.
Between 2019-2023, the U.S. provided more than $240 million in total security assistance.
During the ceremony, Ambassador Kagan said, โWith all three aircraft converted and incorporated into Malaysiaโs overall maritime domain awareness architecture, we know that Malaysia is better able to maintain vigilant watch over activities within its Exclusive Economic Zones, and better postured to secure the maritime environment.โ
U.S-Malaysia security cooperation includes eleven bilateral and five multilateral defense exercises, the most Malaysia has with any country, which enhance Malaysian defense readiness, strengthen multinational relationships, and demonstrate U.S. resolve to support a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The release from RMAF:
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
SUBANG, 27 Jun 24 โ Majlis Penyerahan Pesawat CN235-220M Modification Completion MSA daripada Kerajaan US yang diwakili oleh His Excellency Edgard D.Kagan, Ambassador of The United State To Malaysia kepada Kerajaan Malaysia yang diwakili oleh Panglima Tentera Udara, Jen Tan Sri Datoโ Sri Mohd Asghar Khan bin Goriman Khan TUDM telah dilaksanakan di Pangkalan Udara Subang.
Program naik taraf pesawat ‘Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA)’ di bawah ‘Maritime Security Initiative (MSI)’ bagi pesawat CN235-220M milik Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia (TUDM) telah bermula pada tahun 2018 hingga 2023. Tiga (3) buah pesawat CN235-220M dari No 1 Skn yang dinaik taraf menjadi MSA telah dihantar secara berperingkat ke PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) yang merupakan Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) bagi melaksanakan naik taraf pesawat tersebut.
Dengan pelaksanaan program naik taraf ini juga, pesawat CN235-220M yang dulu hanya digunakan sebagai pesawat pengangkut kini telah berupaya untuk melaksanakan tugasan Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconaissance (ISR) yang mampu memberi satu impak yang besar kepada TUDM dalam menjaga kedaulatan dan keselamatan ruang perairan negara.
The handing over ceremony was planned to be held at the Kuching airbase in Sarawak but the plan was scrubbed and it was held here. For more on the MSA programme search for them in the Malaysian Defence archives.
— Malaysian Defence
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Hundreds of millions in grant from them and we still get wet for another nation that downed our jets.
Stockholm Syndrome is real.
>we
Who?
Out of topic. Marhalim, can you clarify whose the “sources” that said we will go for SU-57 for our next MRCA?
It is just wet dreams really
Su57? U gotta be kidding me. No frickin way man.
TOV – โ and we still get wet for another nation that downed our jetsโ
It was one jet and if we want to get down to the nuances it was Russia which provided the Donbas separatists with a Buk which was used to down a MAS plane in the belief it was a Ukrainian transport. A Russia which denied it provided Buks to anyone and was defended by a former Malaysian PM who said that there was no credible evidence to show Russia was at fault and that what so called evidence there was was a Western plot. He should have been vilified for what he said because it was an insult to those who died and their families/relatives. Would he have said the same if a family member was onboard the ill fated plane?
Decades before the same former PM was asked if weโd stop buying Russian because of what was happening in Chechnya. My favourite was his answer in 1991 – to those who remember – if Malaysia would help defend Saudi against Iraq. His answer was that only if the two holy places were threatened. As if the Iraqis would have reached that far; even if they had wanted to.
In another post you mentioned something about us paying more we should for things. Well the former PM laid the politically driven self defeating policy we have. Under him defence became part of the patronage system and priority was national interests not the armed services and taxpayer; the reason we have local agents; local production and bought stuff the end user object to; i.e. Fulcrums, Flankers, Laksamanas, etc. Part of a larger system our present PM was part of and understands very well. To those who remember he was at the Fulcrum signing ceremony and joked that it was delayed because the Russians haggled over how much they were willing to accept as barter.
The next RMAF MRCA will IMHO very likely be the Kaan. TAI and Airod have recently signed an agreement to work together so I suspect the Turks are already positioning themselves to sell Kawan to Malaysia.
No, Airod signed an MOU with Asfat the state owned factory and shipyard maintenance company. I have no idea why really.
Or Maybe KF21/Boramae which just recently entered mass production stage after SoKor’s DAPA ordered 20 initial units of Boramae from KAI
Itโs nonsensical. If the MOF vetoed a plan to buy Metis reloads; why would anyone think weโd consider the Su-57 which also hasnโt even completed development.
On top of that the Russians are facing major issues sourcing certain parts due to sanctions and priority for the local industry is to produce legacy fighters to replace combat losses.
TOV – โStockholm Syndrome is realโ
Were we ever captives of the Russians?
Tom Tom,
No need to โsuspectโ; as sure as hell will not freeze over anytime soon both the Koreans and Turks are already and have been โpositioningโ is themselves. The Koreans have openly stared that their aircraft would be a perfect complement to the F/A-50s.
Doesnt appear it has a MAD so that was a missed chance, cuz with a roll off deck, we could still drop sonar buoys and air dropable torp.
Also is the MSA program still on that we could request for more? Since USA best buddy is now in power, approvals for more funding should just be a formality if we simply ask.
Its an MSA not MPA…
Irrespective of what’s laid out in CAP 55 do we still intend on doing away with 2 engine tactical transports; in other words do we still see a need for the 3 other CN-235s to perform the transport role or do we want them to also be converted to MSAs?
Irrespective of who’s in power the U.S. since the 1970’s has always put aside ‘X’ amount of funding for defence related stuff in the form of the International Military Education and Training [IMET] programme. There is also ‘X’ amount of funding allocated for equipment; i.e. the Maritime Security Initiative programme and others; including the RMAF radar and Initiative 1206. Last but not least there is funding allocated under the Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and Related Programs – Humanitarian Demining [NADR-HD] programme.
Its an MSA because its not setup to mount & launch armaments. It did not say we could not drop ‘things’ from the cargo bay ๐
Also I did a typo, it is MSI Program where the MSA came from.
What is the difference between MSA & MPA?
MSA just do surveillance, MPAs are equipped with surveillance and weapons.
Eh not really.
dundun – โEh not reallyโ
Well please explain then.
I donโt mean โweโ as in the people on this website. But those anti American people who seem to hate the world police so much and yet ironically support actual authoritarian regimes who are far better at oppressing their own.
America bad! Ok and then? China/Russia/Iran double plus good?
TIV,
Iโm very critical of the role America and other Western countries have played in the Middle East for decades. Does that automatically mean Iโm pro China/Russia/ Iran?
Azlan
Not you. Iโm sure you are more well read and are right to be critical of US policy.
Just commenting on some of the comments and opinions of Malaysians (especially the Chinese) who have such an axe to grind against US they neglect our countryโs own position. I am Chinese myself.
TIV,
Itโs a major problem for a small country like us. We have to tread carefully; be friends with both. In line with our policy of non alignment we are not tilted to either side but at the same time maintain strategic ambiguity. We host the only base Australia has on foreign soil and have deeper more extensive defence ties with America and Australia than we do with any other country; yet officially we are not pro anyone. Itโs also not the military which doesnโt want closer defence ties with America but the political establishment. Even amongst observers who should know better; thereโs a tendency to claim that thereโs a policy of appeasement on out part when it comes to China; ignoring that a lot of what we do is not public and that the way we do things; which are different from Vietnam and the Philippines; are driven by well thought off factors.
A major problem I see with โgeneration Xโ; especially those who are Chinese educated is that China is viewed with a very subjective and narrow view. The narrative is about American hypocrisy [with justification] and about the deep progress China has made. No to little mention about China being a very authoritarian country; the restrictions ordinary citizens are placed under and the shit happening with the Uighurs. Then thereโs Chinaโs grey zone and highly aggressive actions in the South China Sea and elsewhere
BTW thereโs a great article about the general attitudes of Malaysian Chinese towards China in โThinkChinaโ. By and the vast majority of Malaysian Chinese: despite being co ethnics and having a strong historical/cultural affinity with China; see themselves as Malaysians first.
On America; despite its failings it did maintain the balance in the region for decades and it did do good in some places; i.e. it wasnโt Islamic countries or European who created conditions which led to the Dayton Accords and peace in Bosnia. It was also America which led the diplomatic and military effort in Kosovo. Also, no country can be fully trusted as all are driven by self interests but I trust the Americans more than the Chinese.
Tom tom
“The next RMAF MRCA will IMHO very likely be the Kaan”
If the Kuwaiti hornet deal comes true. Then There’s would be enough airframes to last 20 more years. So MRCA acquisition can be push forwards to the 2040s if the penny pincher wanted too.
If the decision to get next gen MRCA is done in 2030, it’ll going to take up until 2040 to achieve FOC anyway. Remember that an concrete decision to get LCA took place in 2019 and we’re only going to fully receive FA-50M by 2027 and it’ll take few years after that to achieve FOC
There’s really no point in having MRCA before 2030 anyway as the only options we have are Typhoon and Rafale as 5th gen fighters that are available for export(that isn’t F-35) are still not ready yet
Who knows in 2030s we’ll be allowed to join F-35 club
a former Malaysian PM who said that there was no credible evidence to show Russia was at fault and that what so called evidence there was was a Western plot. He should have been vilified for what he said because it was an insult to those who died and their families/relatives. Would he have said the same if a family member was onboard the ill fated plane? (Azlan)
I wholly agree with what Sdr Azlan said here.
Being a guy who personally knew one of the families who died on MH17(the whole family was decimated), I have ambivalent feelings about supporting Russian issues.
On one hand, I believe the Russian are right about insidious NATO expansion to its borders and hence the invasion of Ukraine, I cannot forget they caused extreme pain to my friends who lost their loved ones.
To further add insult, the Russian government never acknowledged the involvement of their minions.
To this day, I ask myself how my old friend is coping with the deaths, a question I couldn’t bring myself to ask after so many years…
Al-Fatihah to those who died on MH17.
Zaft,
Not really because as it stands Boeing will only support the type till 2030 or so and the airframes arenโt exactly new or getting younger.