KUALA LUMPUR: This will be the last post on Lima as the event had ended almost two weeks ago. Listed below are some nuggets from the show.
1) MRSS: I have no idea when the project will start, again the lack of money is a big factor, but when it happens the new MRSS will be a mini-Dokdo. Since it will be much smaller than the real Dokdo, perhaps around 8,000 tonnes. Efforts is underway to ensure a Malaysian company will be involved in the project although the ship will be built in South Korea. It will be much cheaper than the Dokdo perhaps around RM200 million to RM500 million per hull with another RM500 million needed for helicopters and other stuff. Three are expected to be ordered.
2) Amraam: Pictured below is the first public display of the CATM Amraam on the F/A-18D Hornet. The CATM is the training missiles which clearly indicates that our Hornets are Amraam-capable. On the other hand, I had un-official confirmation that the R-77 is not available for our Flankers, yet.
3) PDRM Super King Air 350.
During Lima 09, PDRM for the first time displayed it Super King Air 350, of which three had been delivered. The three are currently used to train pilots and crews and a secondary air-mobility role, with two more examples coming next year. The two new aircraft will be fitted with mission systems, a SLAR and FLIR, which will enable the planes to conduct surveillance and border protection roles. The King Airs, which can fly up to 35,000 feet, can fly direct to Tawau from KL, are much better suited for the surveillance role than the CL-415MPs purchased by MMEA for similar duties.
Italy has a mini Dokto type LPD which is the San Giorgio LPD. They have it for years but no other countries have bought it or adopted the design for this size.
Marhalim: You are right, I have forgotten about these ships….
Marhalim, I’m very confused about the King Airs and PDRM. Shouldn’t such assets used for surveillance and border patrol be operated either by the MAF or MMEA? [unless of course the King Airs will also be fitted with radio direction finding and phone tapping gear for internal security….]
Marhalim: Yes the two King Airs to be fitted with mission equipment will also be used for Internal Security role such CT and yes what you say. And one must remember around our borders there are some nasty people who like do bads things, no, I am not talking about bombs but also guns and drugs……
Pray that 2011 budget will be like 2007 era. At least some of the wishlist could be met. 2010 and 2011 i doubt can do much. May be in 2011 the Nuri Replacement, even that a pretty big if.
Could not recall there was an international tender issued by the Home Ministry on the Super King Air 350.Heard the PDRM was instructed to purchase them on a direct negotiation basis when Pak Lah was the Prime Minister.This could be the reason why the aircraft is overspec beyond PDRM’s internal security role.Perhaps Tan Sri Aziz the Chairman of Election Commission could throw some light as he was the Secretary General of the Home Ministry when the purchase was made.
Marhalim: Yes, there was no open tender. The order was made probably at the same time, PDRM was supposed to get between 10 to 20 helicopters to replace its Squirrel and Bells, but it was cancelled due to the economic crisis but no one told us the King Airs were ordered. I dont think the two missionised King Airs will be overspec even for PDRM standards, its simply moving with the times…..I think we should stop thinking ISR is some one holding a bino and a paper map…
Ok,so the Super King has no open tender, open for abuse and corrupt practice. But on one side it has SLAR and FLIR, damn its good potent stuff. Moral:- if possible get the culprits behind the corruption but keep the machines. All of us know wee need it
Marhalim: There was no corruption, Kamal, it was done according to all the rules and regulations………
Off topic but I notice about a year back how troops have developed their face camm into an art form. For some some strange reason even G-5 gunners and PT-91M commanders wear face camm! The whole rationale behind face camm is to prevent light from reflectng off the surface of ones face, hence it is supposed to be applied roughly with no thought given to making it look nice or artlike. I wonder which senior officer in the army came with up the idea.
Marhalim: Look in the gallery, yes its me, its not rough, Lan, its an art form……
So Marhalim, I finally get to put a face to the man behind Malaysian Defence. It looks good at on you. But seriously I think it makes our troops look a bit silly, plus I dont see any point whatsoever in artillery and tank crews wearing face cam.
With 1 engine already in South America, I hope that none of the 4 F-5Es and 2 RF-5s are without an engine [hopefully it was a spare].
Strangely enough, the NST report on the missing engine mentioned the F-5Es and RF-5s operated by 12 SQ but left out the 2 F-5Fs. Till today no reports have mentioned who upgraded the
F-5Fs.
Marhalim: The F5s were uograded, albeit a limited one, after the earlier upgrade project died…
Marhalim, any news on the AWACS and the 8×8 APC? Read that they were in the priority list of the MINDEF in Tempur’s interview of the Defence Minister.
And one more things, how about the replacement MRCA for MiG-29N? they said they gonna retired the MiGs at the end of next year. Are they gonna just retired the aircraft without waiting for the replacements coming in first? with the limited budget i don’t think they gonna be any MRCAs purchase for the next two years……
Marhalim: The three main priorities for RMK10 as I mentioned in an earlier posting are NGPV second bacth, Nuri replacement programme and Army 8×8.
As for the MRCA, due to the limited budget, I cannot foresee any procurement until the 2015-2020 period…..
IMHO,MMEA bought the CL415MP because of its amphibious design.It is more suitable for them than the Super King Air because of is flexibility. MMEA is required to do wide range of mission including SAR, surveilance and ZEE protection so thats why they opted for the CL415MP. I stand corrected..
Yes, but do you want to land on water with all the mission systems installed……
Would the theft of the two engines have adverse impact in relation to future military sales from US? Some of the eports tends to suggest the engines going to a country sanctioned by the US in Middle East, if its true, how can uncle SAM trust us with any of their new weapons then?
Marhalim: Its supposed to be Iran. The keyword here is stolen but yes it would have some future repercussions, what we dont know yet….
On the missing engine saga, I don’t understand where the ministers and the press get the figure of RM50Mil per engine (not to mention the oft mentioned fact that the F-5E uses a single engine – NOT!). If the Jordanian F-5E sold to Kenya for about USD2Mil(RM6.8Mil) fully refurbished each, how can the engines for one of these aircraft costs RM100Mil???
Marhalim: most of us are not aware of such matters, i had to give a brief course on the subject to some junior colleagues yesterday….
Do correct me if i’m wrong. The aircraft is capable to do so and the mission system installed is capable to withstand the pressure so why not..The mission system is capable so that’s why they where installed in the first placed. We are not talking about electronics devices we use everyday.The equipment is worth millions and are designed to withstand the situation.Besides, the equipment installed in both PDRM and MMEA is not the same because of their core mission objective.The CL415 is used mainly for SAR and ZEE patrols while the Super King Air is used for surveilance,CT and intel gathering.
The CL415MP is used by the MMEA for its traditional role of firefighting and is also going to be fitted with a SLAR. At the momemt, the only CL415MP operator which has fitted the CL415MP with a SLAR is the Greek Air orce. Rhe only alternative to the CL415MP is the Beriev. Despite not being able to land in the water, for ISR and surveilancce work the King Air is a more practical aircraft, as Marhalim has previously said.
It seems way back in 2003 there were US fears that Malaysian MANPADS would end up n the wrong hands.
http://www.defencetalk.com/malaysia-to-acquire-shoulder-launched-missiles-despite-us-security-concerns-1389/
Marhalim: Our CL415 is going to be fitted with not only SLAR but a FLIR turret as well…The first aircraft is being fitted with the mission equipment as we speak…..
Anyone here have any idea of how many F-5Es are in service with our air force now? The BERNAMA reported it’s 16 units of F-5E. Anyone can confirm this. The RF-5 is 2 units while the F-5F is 4 units.
Another things, my sources said that the MKMs are about to replace the F-5 but some said it’s about to replace the MIGs also. So can anyone confirm this also. But, by logic, how come only 18 MKMs can replace many fighter jets.
Marhalim: The PAT says seven, my sources say six but i am told only two are actually serviceable at any given day unless there is a need to have more…..
Dear Marhalim, I am worried about the present capabilities of current helicopter fleet. While we are waiting EC 725 or Nuri Upgrade to meet the expeted life , what helicopter we have to cater the need. The publics does not aware of this issue, do we really have 48 helicopter with mission capable right now for flood. Looking at numbers, yes but is it mission capable? Questionable! Since those days the Nuri for SAR Standby has less than 5hrs for maintenance. This is not because of lack of maintenance but due too much maintenance in the Maintenance Depot(too long ).
Is the any alternatives to served the publics now or incase of emergencies?
Our Nuri is not that bad as being reported, it need different angle to see on how the maintenance was done. The flying hours for the helicopter are basically very low compare than it supposed to be with the age , onle about 3 of it just passed 10,000 hrs compare to it civil use which archive 90,000 hrs. Why? i believe it was because over maintain and most of all the time on ground grounded. The Aircrew has no aircraft to fly thus the skill has deteriorate that why 85% of crashes is due to human error( lack of judgment and skill ) They need to be exposed with new and modern environment and machine to acquire the skill and experiance to serve the nation efficiently.
Is there any alternative and solution proposed to Mindef or in Mindef decision on it?
Marhalim: No immediate solution unless money and priorities are made right. We have to rely on smaller helicopters which others have, like police, MMEA and bomba. And in real emergencies we may have to get help from civil operators, most of whom employ ex-RMAF pilots anyway.
As for the F-5E’s, chatted with a 12Sqn’s pilot at LIMA, and he said that the tiger’s are not planned to be retired anytime soon. Out of the 16 servicable airframes, i think the 7 is 2 RF-5E, 2 F-5E and 3 F-5F. One of the F-5F already crashed so all RMAF have right now is 3 F-5F’s
Dear Raziff, is it really we have the 48 helicopter for SAR mision? I’m not so sure about this but according to my sources, there’re only 25 Nuri left that are capable for operation, while the MMEA have around 3 helicopter for SAR mission, and the bomba I’m not sure how many units of the MI-17 and 109 they’re operating, but from the numbers of heli we can see here, I doubt if it really 48 heli.
But, one of my sources said that the air force have procured 10 units of the Russian-made Mi-171SH for CSAR duty but I’m not sure of this.