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SHAH ALAM: RMAF hold a ceremony today at the Butterworth airbase to mark the handover of all surviving Hawk Mk 108s/208s from No 15 Skuadron to the No 6 Skuadron. No 15 is operating out of Butterworth at the moment while No 6 is based in Labuan airbase in Wilayah Persekutuan, Labuan.
According to a RMAF release, No 6 Skuadron will now be responsible for operating the Hawk fleet from today onwards. It said that the restructuring was part of the preparation of accepting into service Korean Aerospace Industries KAI FA-50M FLIT/LCA in 2026. The release did not say how many Hawks are still in service though.
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Will this mean that No 15 Skuadron will be the first unit to operate the FA-50Ms? RMAF has previously stated that No 15 Skuadron will move to Kuantan airbase before it starts operating the FA-50Ms. Six RMAF pilots will be to South Korea this October to start flight training prior to the entry into service of the FA-50Ms in 2026. 51 RMAF engineering personnel will also be sent to South Korea in January 2026, for training in maintaining the aircraft.
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Note currently, apart from operational duties, the No 15 Skuadron is also the training squadron for newly minted RMAF pilots so they operate single and twin seat Hawks. No 6 is the operational squadron and operates around ten Mk 208s, though they also have an occasional twin-seater aircraft for training purpose.
The release:
𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐇 𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐀 𝐏𝐄𝐒𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐖𝐊 𝐌𝐊 𝟏𝟎𝟖/𝟐𝟎𝟖 𝐃𝐈 𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐀 𝐍𝐎 𝟏𝟓 𝐒𝐊𝐔𝐀𝐃𝐑𝐎𝐍 𝐃𝐀𝐍 𝐍𝐎 𝟔 𝐒𝐊𝐔𝐀𝐃𝐑𝐎𝐍
BUTTERWORTH, 24 Februari 2025 – Upacara Serah Terima Pesawat Hawk Mk 108/208 di antara No 15 Skuadron dan No 6 Skuadron telah berlangsung di Hangar No 15 Skuadron, Pangkalan Udara Butterworth. Upacara ini menandakan peralihan tanggungjawab pengoperasian pesawat Hawk Mk 108/208 secara rasmi kepada No 6 Skuadron.
Upacara serah terima telah disempurnakan oleh Pegawai Memerintah No 15 Skuadron, Lt Kol Mohd Khairul Azrin bin Mohd Tuah TUDM dengan simbolik penyerahan dokumen rasmi kepada Pegawai Memerintah No 6 Skuadron, Lt Kol Zulkifli bin Mohamad TUDM. Upacara ini telah disaksikan oleh Komander Pangkalan PU Butterworth, Brig Jen Khairol Muzambi bin Salehin TUDM.
Dalam ucapan Komander Pangkalan, beliau menzahirkan penghargaan kepada seluruh warga No 15 Skuadron atas dedikasi dan sumbangan mereka sepanjang tempoh penugasan di pangkalan ini sejak tahun 1994. Dengan simbolik penyerahan ini, No 6 Skuadron kini akan menggalas sepenuhnya tanggungjawab mengoperasikan pesawat Hawk Mk 108/208 dalam mendukung misi pertahanan udara negara.
Langkah ini merupakan penyusunan semula aset pesawat pejuang TUDM dan persiapan bagi penerimaan pesawat pejuang baharu iaitu FA-50M yang bakal memasuki inventori TUDM.
Despite the handover, I believed Hawks based in Butterworth will be stationed there until this May for preparation and training for LIMA 2025. Only after the airshow they will be flown to Labuan. They could also move to another airbase in the peninsula, Gong Kedak or Kuantan, if work to redo the runway and taxiways starts prior to LIMA 2025. The work to redo the runway and taxiways are part of the upgrade to the airbase which is funded by the Australian government.
— Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (72)
That is the plan from the beginning anyway.
Consolidating all hawks with 6 Skn Labuan, while in kuantan (if i am not mistaken) 9 Skn will be the one to take up the initial FA-50M operations.
15 Skn will take up the FLIT taskings, basically taking over 3FTC task in Kuantan.
FA-50M batch 2 will be used to topup 15 Skn FLIT and to replace Hawks in 6 Skn Labuan.
AFAIK these are the surviving hawk aircrafts
Hawk 108
M40-01
M40-02
M40-04
M40-05
M40-09
Hawk 208
M40-22
M40-23
M40-24
M40-25
M40-26
M40-27
M40-29
M40-30
M40-31
M40-32
M40-33
M40-34
M40-38
What are their future fate? sold off?
Also what is the fate of the remaining 7 MB-339CM? No official retirement yet? To be sold off? They just need replacement RR Vipers with remaining hours to be flight capable again. They are basically the newest MB-339 airframes in the world.
missed one
M40-02 crashed in kuantan 2017, so only 4 Hawk 108 remaining out of 10.
Since Sq 15 is training & conversion squad I think its also good for them to familiarise on FLIT (TA50) version too.
Once the Hawks are gradually removed from front line, I wonder if its feasible to pool them and setup an airforce reserve unit that can fly them while cannibalising planes for spares until their no longer flyable? I foresee them doing low intensity & adhoc tasks such as internal airspace patrols, or exercises, or display team for Lima or Merdeka whatnot.
Where is the money and more importantly the people to do this?
The people - Pasukan Simpanan Tentera Udara (PSTU / recently retired servicemen
The money - ???
Hawk is quite a maintenance intensive aircraft, with dubious engine reliability and structural integrity.
Just a what if, im sure we don't have any extra budget to do this kind of stuff.
" Two RMAF Hawk 108s 04 and 06 of No 15 Skuadron getting ready to take off for the RMAF-RAAF anniversary flypast. This picture was taken in the morning facing the sun. Malaysian Defence picture. "
Looking closely at the picture, if my eyes don't fail me they are 04 and 08, not 06.
AFAIK M40-06 crashed at Labuan in 2000.
Im guessing since everything is existing, the resources will come from OE budget which is far larger than DE and easier to justify and increase. Much like the mega chopper lease deal.
Before someone go gun ho on quantitative, asymmetric, prolonged warfare. Maybe he should check whether the risk of prolonged war is even there in the first place.
PRC military expansion is aim among other things to keep the SLC open to them as SCS and SOM is an important waterways not just for trade and economy but also livelihood as it's it major O&G supplies route which without it they can wage war, keep electric on or create fertiliser to plant food.
And what exactly the point for them to prolonged a warfare that keep a vital SLC for them close and hurt themselves in the process be?
The moment rmaf got their FA-50M and their extra hornet, they should send the hawks to glue factory already
PRC would have to factored in the loss of trade route thru SCS if they were to start a hot war here. So gonna be doubtful they push more than exerting their authority over SCS in peacetime manner (hard assertiveness at bullying but short of shooting). Like Suez Canal, once trade routes have diverted from SCS it will take a long time to restablish back to where it was before or maybe even never if the West boycotts SCS permanently.