SHAH ALAM: Plan B, Part 1. As you are aware the new administration seemed to be swamped with many things that they said were done by the previous administration. I dont have time to go through all of them here but it is likely to have an impact on the military budget. It must be noted that even the previous administration had cut the military budget to give priorities to other areas.
Even though there are many issues affecting the military for this post I will like to concentrate on RMAF Lead In Fighter Trainer (LIFT), the rest will follow suit and in no particular order. As you are aware the MB339 CM fleet is long in the tooth, not the airframe of course as these were only bought some 10 years ago.
One of the MB-339CM getting ready for a test flight in 2008 prior to delivery to RMAF.
The problem is the engines, one each for the seven CM in service. As you are also aware the engines were recycled from the original MB-339AM we operated from the 1980s to 2007. As this engines are no longer manufactured, parts are hard to find, reducing the availability of the fleet. Engine failure was the reason one of the CM crashed in May, 2016. There are several ways to fix the problem which will be listed below.
A Nuri helicopter at the scene of the MB339CM crash in May 2016. Bomba picture.
There are several ways to fix the problem, these are listed below.
Buy new engines
This could be an issue as Leonardo no longer manufacture the CM. I am pretty sure we could find a suitable engine for the CMs but the investment (integration and cost of the new engines) will mean that we have to fly them for at least another 10 years or more to justify the cost.
79 Squadron Trainee, Flying Officer Iain Roberts-Thomson, operates the Hawk Simulator on a training evolution over a simulated Perth, Western Australia, at RAAF Base Pearce. Commonwealth Australia picture
LIFT training overseas
Retire the CMs and conduct the LIFT program overseas. Several countries offer LIFT programs for foreign militaries which we could turn to if we choose to retire the CMs without getting a replacement. Pakistan is not one of them as we have sent trainee pilots there to undergo a similar program but I was told that the result was less than satisfactory. I am pretty sure that the foreign countries running such LIFT programs would welcome Malaysian students but this will definitely cost more than Pakistan.
Omani Hawks.
Replace the CM with Hawks
RMAF have been offered surplus Hawks, both the single seater 203 and twin seater trainer, 103 from the Royal Omani Air Force. The Omanis are taking delivery of 10 Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers to replace the 10 103s in service with the air force hence their availability. The Omani Hawks are very similar in age, flight hours and specifications to our own 108s and with these extra airframes, they could replace the CMs completely. Apart from the 103s, we could also buy the 203s to add to the 208s already in service. When all of these Hawks are upgraded these could be operated until 2030. We could also get the extra Hawks while still not get involved with LIFT with extra airframes used to beef up the two operational squadrons.
One of the two RTAF T-50 at Kuantan airbase in Jan,. 2018. via @KaptRahmat
Buy a new LIFT
Retire the CMs and buy a new LIFT aircraft. The obvious candidate is the KAI TA-50/FA-50. The problem is that by buying a new aircraft we are adding more cost to the air force apart from the initial procurement of course. RMAF do not have the budget to operate four fast jet types at the same time. If we buy a completely new LIFT, all of the Hawks must be retired as well so we need to buy at least 30 of the Korean made light jets. A huge undertaking in the current economic conditions. Not doing anything is also not option so take your pick. I prefer the second one if anyone asking.
— Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (76)
FA50 at USD30 million a piece, with minimum requirement of at least 28 being 10 for LIFT and 18 for light attack role would cost us atleast USD850 million. Make sense only if the macchi and hawks are retired
I've got a better one. Since Saudi, Oman, Kuwait, UAE, & India has hawks, why not tie up with them for outsourced LIFT training? Cheaper than sending to UK, Canada or USA.
Though since the new administration is wary of oil sheikhs influence, that would leave India as the only option. Hmm, do you suppose our flyboys' stomachs can hold their curry in combat taining?
We have to look at the overall picture.
Marhalim, is it true that Oman is offering their hawks to Malaysia?
Oman does not have 10 Hawk 103s.
It has 3x Hawk 103, 1x Hawk 155 and 10x Hawk 203
https://www.malaysiandefence.com/first-omani-typhoon-delivered/#comment-276562
That means if we get the Omani Hawks, the fleet would be 10 twin seat and 22 single seat hawks. Still we need another fighter, or additional Hornets or MKM to shoulder the QRA tasks done by MiG-29s. Then in 10-15 years time we still need to replace them, and the candidate would still be the TA/FA-50.
As my previous guest article, a fleet of 40 TA/FA-50 would be around USD1.3 billion. This will streamline the Pilot training flow, pilots flying the same aircraft from training to their 1st operational tour (no need for OCU at this step). Another advantage is this can also be a low cost supersonic fighter for our peacetime air policing duties., replacing the MiG-29 in this role.
Training pilots overseas can be an option, but don't think it is a cost saving one.
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I am not sure of their legacy Hawk inventory it was based on a Google search as well as Wikipedia (not the most accurate one I admit). If your number is correct, yes it will barely enough to replace the CMs. Yes it is not cheap to train pilots overseas, but it will be a fixed figure for certain number of trainees. A local LIFT program will cost a lot more apart from the initial expenditure for the planes.
I'd prefer the 2nd option. Buy & upgrade all the Omani Hawks. We can't suddenly spend money that's not budgetted for anyway.
And any chance of Leonardo buying back the 339s and selling us the M346FAs? :-) Anyone?
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Even if we buy the M346s we need to buy enough planes not just for LIFT but also to replace the 208s.
i much prefer we go to new LIFT such as FA-50 but that maybe a long way. Replace the CM with Hawks i kind a an option.
i think that is a good chance. there is a used hawks out there and waiting to be procure. we already have experience with it,have logistic figure out and it cheaper than buy new LIFT.
about LIFT training overseas,some have point out its much cheaper and budget wise to use this option several years ago. but some points out it as it have different need and goal from ours. is there any way it can be change to suit our need??
The Hawks are already becoming outdated today. Indo/Thai/Php have the TA-50s, SG have M346s. Russia and China also have M346 variants. By 2030? It should belong in the RMAF museum.
IMHO RMAF should outsource LIFT and with money saved, buy FA-50s.
Could outsource to South Korea maybe? will they do it? perhaps as part of a deal for FA-50s?
Having a LIFT does not only provide better training than an advanced trainer, it allows you to save money by moving some training modules from fighters to the LIFT which is cheaper to operate.
Before the M346s, Singapore’s LIFT was the TA-4, TA-4S and ultimately the TA-4SU. In wartime the two seaters has a role delivering LGBs. The M346s also have a wartime role.
Is that official Oman offer their Hawk 103/203 to Malaysia?
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No that was an official offer from Groot
@...
Some issues with your proposal:
The TA/FA fleet will eat up half the budget for the MIG replacement, and really cannot compare with the MIGs for QRA - for that price point they will only have basic radars and AIM-9Ms.
Just pulling ideas out of my ass, what do you think of the costs and feasibility of the following 2 options:
Option A
Continue to operate Hawks, retire Mb-339s, buy TA-50
Option B
Sell Hawks, retire Mb-339s, buy TA-50, buy 12 Gripen-E to replace Hawks and MIGs
That was when Najib was still in office. Not sure if the deal is off the table now.