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• These are strange times indeed..... I won't be surprised if in a few months, an announcement is made AGAIN, that the Fulcrums wiil be retired. Maybe wiser heads have prevailed and the government has realised that if the Fulcrums are retired, RMAF fighter numbers will be at an all time low since the 80's.

  Marhalim, who chooses the headings of your articles in the Malay Mail, is it the editor?
  IMO, ''billion dollar dive'' is a bit too sensational and could give those who are not so aware of the local defence scene, negative perceptions.

  Marhalim: I have no control over the headings, I also sometimes cringed at the headings they used, I can only propose.....

• The answer is simple, we've no fund for new fighter aircraft and we can't afford to let down another squadron of air fighter.

  This is a predictable govt decision. Last time, I wrote here maybe there'll be no new procurement of fighter aircraft in the next 4-5 years but now, I guess there's no hope for new fighter aircraft procurement in the next 10-12 years.

  And again, we should revise back our Vision2020 plan for the defense scene because from what we can see now, we're not even can fulfill the need of the armed forces in the RMK-9 and yet RMK-10 will only focus on the abandoned project of the RMK-9 and RMK-11 I guess we'll focus on the abandoned project of the RMK-10.

• Yahoo. That's a relief. I was afraid that they gonna retired the MiG without finding the replacements first. This is the rite way, find the replacements than u retired the MiGs. At least know, we didn't have to worry of the "holes" in the sky when we are waiting for the new MRCAs.....

• it's a correct decision as in 5 years time(2015), PAK-FA would be scheduled to be operational and hopefully, marketed by the russian. Malaysia as one of the major target by Ros'Expt surely would be one of the earliest countries to be offered the fighter.
  By that time, we have more fighters to choose from and the latest tech esp EASA radar & BVR missile would mature enough.

• What happened to the decom 6? cannibalised for parts? Well i assume the 10 will only go for engine over haul and avionics referbushment.

• Want to find out why?? Because they have no money AND Dr. M said so:
  "He said the ministry’s decision also took into account the views of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in his blog, who felt that the MiG jet fighters should be retained."
  ha! ha! I guess the old man still runs the country on part time basis through his blogs...

• Wise decision indeed and in the meantime wait for the PAK-FA to enter full production. I'm pretty sure the fulcrums are still lethal but we need to boot third party leecher and go direct for spare parts in order to save cost.

• I m aggree what omanjedi said, PAK-FA should be the choosen one cos Singapore may ready the JSF-35 during that year but other fighter being consider.

• I'm not surprise that decision has changed.
  Waste another RM1.3 bil for the next 5 yrs and that does not include the upgrade by ATSC which I doubt they are able to do. I thought just a while ago the reason for retirement was due to costly 260mil expenditure anually.
  Best the money use to allocate for improving the armed forces...eg like the Nuri replacement and many!

  Either the RMAF or the MINDEF is fickle minded or there's some wayang or for the interest of certain parties.

  It is sad to see the decision made since the last 2 decades.

• Wise decision i must say...Selling this fine aircraft is not the rite move when the problem is cost of maintenance...if poorer countries like Sudan, Peru and Myanmar can maintain theirs...why we cant maintain ours?

  anyway...anybody knows if any other country besides Germany and Romania that retired their fleet of Fulcrum?