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.β― 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, βWith all three aircraft converted and incorporated into Malaysiaβs 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.β
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:
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SUBANG, 27 Jun 24 β 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 Datoβ Sri Mohd Asghar Khan bin Goriman Khan TUDM telah dilaksanakan di Pangkalan Udara Subang.
Program naik taraf pesawat βMaritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA)β di bawah βMaritime Security Initiative (MSI)β 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.
β Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (33)
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 - β and we still get wet for another nation that downed our jetsβ
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 weβd 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
Itβs nonsensical. If the MOF vetoed a plan to buy Metis reloads; why would anyone think weβd consider the Su-57 which also hasnβt 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 - βStockholm Syndrome is realβ
Were we ever captives of the Russians?
Tom Tom,
No need to βsuspectβ; as sure as hell will not freeze over anytime soon both the Koreans and Turks are already and have been βpositioningβ 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.
Its an MSA not MPA...