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• The Mistral participation shows how close they are to the Singapore. i don't see the Mistral ever come to LIMA. It seems that election are to be delayed to next year. I can only see a possible deal for the Super Bug to be sign after the election and most probably not at LIMA 2011..

  Have anyone see this:
  http://my.news.yahoo.com/chinese-jets-intruded-philippine-space-military-060001377.html

  Maybe we should start consider a permanent fighter squadron to be based in Labuan. Some other reports consider the jets to be J-11, a copy of Su-27SKM. For all we know, it might be our own Sukhois or the Vietnamese....

  Reply
  The Mistral is on the round the world voyage which the French Navy undertakes every three year or so. It so happens that the Imdex is held around this time so they took the opportunity to make a port visit. Lima is held in December traditionally so most Western navy ships unless they are nearby like those off Somalia will not be able to make it.

  As for the MRCA, the official tender will probably be published after Lima. It is a good excuse to get more participation in a very crowded military exhibition calendar.

• Now that we already bought Su-30's and the Russians know we have no serious interest in buying anymore, we probably will never see the Russian Knights and Russian jets, owned by the design bureaus, flown by test pilots in LIMA anymore.

  Marhalim, what happened to the ex-ROKN LST that was supposed to have been loaned to us? Have you seen any photos of the riverine Patrol Craft that the RMN use to operate on the Rejang river against the NKCP in the 80's?

  Reply
  Ah, the deal had fallen on the wayside. On the riverine boats, I have not seen them

• With the MiG29Ns retiring, now the Su30MKMs are left with a huge stockpile of R73 and R27 missiles. We should have bought more Su30MKMs back then. With just one Russian squadron maybe they would go crazy with live firing exercises. Marhalim, have the MiG29Ns ever involved in a live air-to-air firing exercise? i can't think of a single target drone that is suitable for air-to-air exercise that exist in our inventory....

  Reply
  Yes the Fulcrum had fired their AAM missiles locally but so far no pictures nor AAR had been in the public space. Most of the AAM meant for the Fulcrum have already expired. Its cheaper to buy new ones than extend their service lives.

• The shelf life of any AAM as guaranteed by the manufacture is only possible if the missiles are kept in proper storage facilities as specified by the manufacturer. And every time a live missile is actually flown, its shelf life is reduced. That is why we mostly see training Sidewinders carried by the Hawks and training Archers [2 red stripes on the missile] carried by the Fulcrums. An ex-DDr Fulcrum pilot told me that the standard practice for russian AAMs is for them to be kept in re-sealable plastic wrappings.

• The only live firing of an AAM in Malaysian skies that received press coverage was one done by an RAAF Butterworth based Mirage in 1981.
  The RMAF has never announced or shown any live firings of anything apart from the M-20 CBU's, C-70 rockets, dumb bombs and cannons. Everything else is RAHSIA!!

• Malaysia Eyeing P-3 Orions

  AWIN First May 25 , 2011
  Leithen Francis leithen_francis@aviationweek.com
  SINGAPORE

  Malaysia is considering buying Lockheed P-3 aircraft, an initiative that comes at a time when many countries in Southeast Asia are looking to boost their maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare capabilities.

  A study is now under way and a request has gone to the U.S. for information on the P-3, according to industry executives and officials inside and outside of Malaysia. If the decision to buy P-3s is made, the Malaysian air force will operate the aircraft, the sources say.

  The U.S. does have ex-U.S. Navy P-3Cs available for sale, because it is planning to replace its P-3s with Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft, currently in development. The Poseidon is due to enter service in 2013.

  Malaysia’s air force presently has no anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft. For maritime surveillance, it has been relying on Beechcraft King Air aircraft fitted with Thales radars. But the King Air has far less range and mission capability than the P-3.

  Range is important because Malaysia has a large coastline and there is a sea separating east and west Malaysia. ASW capability is also becoming a higher priority for southeast Asian countries, because many are concerned about China’s growing submarine fleet and claims to the South China Sea (Aerospace DAILY, May 20).

  A senior official from the Malaysian navy, who spoke to Aviation Week on May 19 on the sidelines of the Imdex Asia naval defense show in Singapore, says the navy would leave the operation of fixed-wing aircraft to the air force. But the official says the navy has a competition under way for ASW helicopters and plans to order six.

  Singapore also is considering getting P-3s. Mark Jarvis, Lockheed Martin’s P-3 director of design and production, disclosed late last year that Singapore had issued a letter requesting information on the P-3. If Singapore purchases P-3s, it is likely to be former U.S. Navy P-3Cs in a similar configuration to the P-3Cs that Taiwan will be receiving from 2012 onward, Jarvis said.

  At the Imdex Asia show, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) had on display a model of a Bombardier Q400 fitted with an IAI/Elta Systems maritime patrol and ASW package that includes radar and electro-optical sensors. Abraham Bahar, IAI’s director of corporate marketing for Asia, says IAI can fit the aircraft with a system for deploying sonar buoys and missiles. One advantage the Q400 has over larger aircraft is that it is cheaper to operate, he says. Bahar says IAI is hoping to sell the IAI/Elta Systems maritime patrol and ASW package to Singapore.

  Reply
  Mr Francis story is of course a non-story....

• The only problem [with the article didn't mention] is that most P-3s, including those stored at AMARC, are at least 30 years old!
  The P-3 was first offered to us about 8 years ago as a possible platform for an AEW system.
  What the RSAF and RSN has done with their Fokkers would be perfect for us - maintained and owned by the RMAF but under the operational control of the RMN. For commonality, I think additional CN-235s would be ideal. The CN-235 still has a loiter ranger of around 8 hours.

  Reply
  Yes, the CN235 is the perfect platform for such manned ISR/ASW role moreover since RMAF will be expected to supply the aircrew for the next 10 years or so. BTW, when Pakistan ordered second hand Orions (eight, two of which were destroyed in the attack recently at PNS Mehran, the cost of re-activating each aircraft was pegged at USDS16 million. I believe with training and other things from training to ordnance, each plane will cost around USD30 million.