SHAH ALAM: Oz maintenance work for Hornets. At the Singapore Airshow 2020, a briefing by the 22nd Squadron revealed that they will be sending an F/A-18D Hornet to Australia for maintenance work. After some checking I was informed that the maintenance work is actually for the whole fleet with two aircraft undergoing the programme at the Boeing Australia facility at RAAF Williamtown, where RAAF Hornets are being maintained.
From Jane’s.
Jane’s understands that the maintenance work in Australia, which is expected to be completed in four years, will mainly involve work being done on the Hornets’ airframe and engines, although the aircraft are also expected to be fitted with new cockpit displays, a tactical datalink and associated hardware.
It must be noted that with the maintenance work done in Australia, the fleet is expected to stay in service until 2035 as under the current plans. RMAF had wanted to do it locally but apparently such deep maintenance work – where the whole aircraft and components are stripped down to the bone- could only be done at a Boeing facility. Apparently we have better luck with the Sukhois (though in fairness, none of the Sukhoi people or Irkut have done such work before)
If you remember, the last time the Hornets underwent such programme was from 2011 to 2015 and we got a certificate for it from Boeing. As part of the MLU, 18th Squadron Hornets also received Boeing JHMC, integration with AIM-9X Sidewinder and JDAM and as well as a new targetting pod, the ATFLIR.
As mentioned in the Jane’s story, we will not be replacing the Hornet’s APG-73 radar with an AESA one. I was told we were offered but declined due to cost issues. It must be noted that the issue about cost its not just about the Hornets we currently have but also the ones we are looking at seriously, the Kuwaiti Hornets. If indeed we actually move on them, funds must be available to ensure commonality with the current ones in service.
— Malaysian Defence
View Comments (30)
Thank you marhalim for the explaination.
As for the MKM, it was to be expected that Irkut themselves has never done the 10 year overhaul as russian SM fleet is much younger than that. The only one who has done so is HAL, with the MKI. But as we have a specialized technical facility just for the MKM, it is expected that any overhauls for MKM will be done in malaysia.
Regarding the commonality of our own hornets with others. Actually our hornets has much more in common with the aussie hornets, although older, rather than the kuwaiti hornets. Kuwait hornets uses the older APG-65. Aussie hornets originally uses the APG-65, it was later changed with APG-73 during MLU. Our hornets has APG-73 from the start. If we dont have the budget to change to the new AESA APG-79, i dont think we have the budget for kuwaiti hornets. IMO lets lower the bar, and just ask australia nicely for their legacy/classic hornets. If it is good enough for canada, it should be good enough for us. MKM + new LCA + beefed up hornet numbers would give a good fighter capability for us going through the 2020s.
http://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/canberra-confirms-sale-of-25-hornets-to-canada-at-a95-million/130898.article
1)Paling awal bilakah Hornet Kuwait akan available utk dijual kepada negara luar?
2)Dan saya rasa tak mustahil juga jika TUDM dapatkan Hornet daripada Australia sama ada beli dengan harga yang murah atau free memandangkan hubungan yang baik antara kedua negara.Australia juga pernah transfer Sabre secara percuma kepada TUDM dulu.
Reply
2021. Nope on number 2
.... - “But as we have a specialized technical facility just for the MKM, it is expected that any overhauls for MKM will be done in malaysia.””
Indeed. With the exception of the engines. We will and do perform the required checks but like the
RD-33s the engines will have to be sent back to the OEM for overhauls.
- “would give a good fighter capability for us going through the 2020s””
The missing key element in the equation of course being an AEW platform for which unfortunately we’ll have to wait an extremely long time to get.
With up to 18 LCA, 18 hornets and 18 MKM I think it's about enough until the air force could get their MMRCA
Hell we prolly should aim for more than that figure; 24 LCA and 24 hornets
@ azlan
" The missing key element in the equation of course being an AEW platform for which unfortunately we’ll have to wait an extremely long time to get "
IMO if the will is there, we can get our AEW platform before 2030 ends.
This is a sample of what can be done with USD1.6 billion budget for each rancangan malaysia.
RMK12 2021-2025 USD1.6bil
36 TA/FA-50M 1200mil 12 TA-50, 24 FA-50. Hawk/MB-339CM replacement 2 operational Sqn, 1 LIFT Sqn
28 F/A-18A/B(used aussie) 100mil 12 F/A-18A, 8 F/A-18B, 8 F/A-18D, 8 F/A-18A spare. 18 Skn + 12 Skn.
6 CN-235-220 MPA conv 50mil plus trade in 3 B200T MPA, 4 with MSI grant.
12 Ecarys ES15 MALE UAV 120mil 4 systems with 3 uav per system or equivalent
6 EC-225LP(used) 100mil
1 GroundMaster GM403 radar 30mil or equivalent
RMK13 2026-2030 USD1.6bil
12 FA-50M 400mil top up 2 operational sqn, 18 airframe per sqn
2 A400M 300mil partly used spain/UK/Germany allocation
3 G6000 Erieye ER AEW&C 600mil G6000 business jet + Erieye ER system
1 G6000 HAVASOJ EW 120mil airbone stand-off jammer/electronic attack
2 G6000 (used) 50mil VIP/training (used) to replace Global Express
8 PC-24 80mil multi-engine training, Medevec, utility, VIP
2 GroundMaster GM403 radar 50mil or equivalent
Would the hornets be flown whole to Australua or would the wings be removed n flown by the A 400 to Australia please
Reply
They will have to take off the wings and probably the horizontal stabilizers as well
‘Enough” to meet current peacetime operational and training commitments (including QRAs and exercises) and for low intensity scenarios which do not call for us to generate large numbers of sorties for a protracted period.
"If indeed we actually move on them, funds must be available to ensure commonality with the current ones in service."
The key is we have go past the first hurdle which is to buy them before thinking about 2nd hurdle to commonise them. I am not sure if expenditure for upgrades is via RMK or yearly procurement but even if going by next RMK to fund the upgrade of Kuwaiti Hornets, we can still find them very useful for next 2 decades which is really a lot.
And seriously we do need them in the current and near future. Regardless of their lower specs, we can make do with their current configuration if hot transferred and later on give them a SLEP to commonise with the upgrades being done. Obviously we couldn't afford to buy them, and upgrade them while we're at same time upgrading our current fleet. A staggered multi year program of upgrade current-buy Kuwaiti Hornets-Upgrade these Hornets, will mean we have a plan to move forward and still keep the bean counters happy.
@A
2) Masa tu bila Aus derma F-86 kepada kita, diorang ada dapat habuan dari USA dgn pesawat baru. Sama juga masa kita pulak derma pesawat F-86 ni ke Indonesia, kita pun diberi habuan. Tapi kali ini dah lain, tak ada habuan untuk Aus derma F-18 mereka pada kita.
....
Indeed. “It” the will is there on the part of the government; a big “if” which is extremely unlikely unless something drastic happens to make it changes its mind. Given the state of things we should count ourselves lucky if the government actually commits to stuff that has been approved; namely the LCA, MPA and UASs( never mind that these will be in small quantities with no certainty follow on orders will be placed in a timely manner.
The very good news is that the Hornets will be fitted with a data link - long overdue for something so essential and something we can’t afford to do with. Now we can only hope that the same happens for the MKMs and that future LCAs will also be “wired”.
Am just hopeful (wishful more like) we'll have the soon-to-be ex-Kuwaiti Hornets and that we'll have the original Hornets of RMAF back ASAP! The assets are spread 'really' thin as is. And hopefully our MenHan has realised just how much... :-(