SHAH ALAM: Gunjiz takes over from Krueger. General DS Asghar Khan Goriman Khan officially took over as the 20th RMAF chief from retiring General TS Ackbal Abdul Samad at the Subang air base today. Ashgar (call sign Gunjiz), 57 joined the RMAF in 1983 and became a pilot in 1985. Ashgar was appointed as the deputy RMAF chief on Jan. 3. 2020.
Like his predecessor, Ackbal (call sign Krueger), Ashgar is a fighter pilot by training, having qualified on the A-4 Skyhawk, F-5E, Mig-29N and the Sukhoi Su-30MKM. According to RMAF, Ashgar attended RAAF East Sale, Australia to train as an instructor pilot and he went to instruct on both the F-5Es and the Mig-29Ns. He is likely will be the first and last RMAF chief who had both commanded the No.19 and No. 11 squadrons, respectively.
The squadrons flew the Russian-made Mig-29Ns and the Su-30MKM. For the record, Ackbal also commanded the No. 19 Squadron and was the Mig-29N solo flight display at LIMA in 1995 and 1997.
Full biodata of Ashgar as issued by RMAF:
Jeneral Dato’ Sri Mohd Asghar Khan bin Goriman Khan TUDM telah dilahirkan di Selangor pada 26 Dis 1965. Beliau mendapat pendidikan di Sekolah Menengah Sultan Badlishah, Kulim Kedah. Beliau mula menceburi Angkatan Tentera Malaysia pada 18 Jul 1983 sebagai Pegawai Kadet di Maktab Tentera Diraja (MTD).
Beliau telah memulakan kerjaya sebagai juruterbang pesawat pejuang TUDM pada tahun 1985. Jeneral Dato’ Sri Mohd Asghar Khan bin Goriman Khan TUDM telah menerbangkan pesawat pejuang A4 Skyhawk, F-5E, MiG-29N dan Sukhoi 30MKM.
Beliau mengikuti kursus jurulatih penerbangan di RAAF East Sale, Australia pada tahun
1992 dan juga merupakan jurulatih pesawat F-5E dan MiG-29N.
Di sepanjang perkhidmatannya, beliau telah diberi kepercayaan memegang pelbagai jawatan penting di dalam Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia (TUDM) dan Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM) sebagai jurulatih, staf dan pemerintah. Antara jawatan yang pernah beliau sandang adalah Pegawai Memerintah No 19 Skuadron
MiG-29N, Pegawai Memerintah No 11 Skuadron SU-30MKM, Komander Pangkalan PU Gong Kedak, Asisten Ketua Staf Operasi dan Strategi (Markas Tentera Udara), AKS Operasi dan Latihan (J3) Markas Angkatan Bersama, Panglima Pendidikan dan Latihan Udara dan Timbalan Panglima Tentera Udara. Jeneral Dato’ Sri Mohd Asghar Khan bin Goriman Khan TUDM telah dilantik sebagai Panglima Tentera Udara pada 7 Mac 2022.
Jeneral Dato’ Sri Mohd Asghar Khan bin Goriman Khan TUDM telah menghadiri pelbagai kursus profesional dan ketenteraan di dalam dan luar negara. Antaranya adalah Kursus Peralihan Pesawat MiG-29 di India, Kursus Jurulatih Penerbangan di Australia, Kursus Staf di Maktab Turus Angkatan Tentera, Kuala Lumpur, Kursus Pertahanan di Air War College Karachi, Pakistan, Kursus Royal College Of Defence
Studies (RCDS) di UK dan Advance Management Program di Harvard Business School Boston, Amerika Syarikat. Beliau mempunyai kelulusan Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies dari Universiti Islamabad, Pakistan (2008), Diploma Kajian Perniagaan dari Universiti Teknologi Mara (2002), dan Diploma Pengajian Pertahanan dari Universiti Malaya (1999).
Sebagai menghargai jasa dan bakti yang telah dicurahkan kepada perkhidmatan dan negara, beliau telah dianugerahkan pelbagai Darjah Kebesaran dan Pingat antaranya adalah Sri Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang (SSAP), Panglima Setia Angkatan Tentera (PSAT), Darjah Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang (DSAP), Darjah Indera Mahkota
Pahang (DIMP) Pahlawan Angkatan Tentera (PAT), Setia Mahkota Pahang (SMP), Kesatria Angkatan Tentera (KAT), Ahli Mahkota Pahang (AMP), Kesatria Mahkota Wilayah (KMW) dan Pingat Jasa Malaysia (PJM).
Jeneral Dato’ Sri Mohd Asghar Khan bin Goriman Khan TUDM telah mendirikan rumahtangga bersama Datin Sri Bibi Nasratjahan binti Gulab Khan pada 3 Apr 1993 dan dikurniakan tiga orang cahaya mata iaitu seorang lelaki dan dua orang perempuan
At a press conference after taking over as the chief, Ashgar said that RMAF Air Operations Commander Lt Gen Mohd Salleh Osman will succeed him as the Deputy Chief. The official ceremony for Mohd Salleh, another fighter pilot by training, is to take place tomorrow.
— Malaysian Defence
If you like this post, buy me an espresso. Paypal Payment
Ukraine is looking for more fighter jets….if only Malaysia could send the retired Mig 29s there and get them replaced / backfilled by the US, like what Poland is considering.
If only…….
Ours have been stored for some five years now, it will take a lot of work to get up and running again
I concur with TomTom, I foresee its not for the ongoing fight but later, if Ukraine survives, where they will need to rebuild their forces, we could make a deal with USA to swap our Migs for others, perhaps radars or E2 Hawkeye. There are plenty of refurb companies both in USA & Europe that can restores & services legacy Russian jets.
What are the conditions of our MIG 29 kept in? Dismantled and in crates? Stored under cover? As time goes on our stored MIGS may not be attractive with other foreign users. Possibly only salvageable parts or unused parts may be sold. With the continued Ukrainian conflict n trade embargoes, other nations will look at non Russian alternatives to weapons – making our stored MIG 29’s un sellable. Already, the MIG 29 is an older platform for other nations to buy. In a matter of years, possibly our MIG 29’s be used as museum displays or ‘gate keepers’
AFAIK there are two airframes that are being kept in relatively good condition. Not for flying, mind you. AFAIK as well, none of the stuff kept are meant for use in a quick turn around unlike civil aircraft. We cannot sell the stuff without express permission from Russia
Tom Tom,
Given that we avoiding being placed in the position of being tilted to one particular side, it’s highly unlikely we’d do as you suggest. For one, we have nothing to gain by unnecessarily annoying the Russians [which will happen if we do as you suggest]. Also there are far easier and more practical means of supplying the Ukrainians with Fulcrums, rather than relying on Malaysian ones which haven’t flown for ages, have engines in need of overhauls and which will require certain modifications for Ukrainian use.
CharlieTango,
Long before the invasion started, our Fulcrums weren’t every easy to sell or dispose of for various reasons.