LANGKAWI: Its the Rafale? I wrote in Aviation Week today that the French government is making a last ditch effort to get Malaysia to sign for the Dassault Rafale at next week’s planned visit of its president to Kuala Lumpur.
The story is here, unfortunately, it is behind a paywall. As I was not born with a silver spoon, I also write for Aviation Week to pay the bills.
Anyhow, what is happening basically, the French wants us to sign for 18 Rafales and they hoping it will be the centre piece of their president’s visit next week, March 27.
They are offering generous offsets and credit facilities to persuade the government to sign the deal with delivery deferred to 2020.
Will the government sign the deal with general election looming and little money in the bank? I was told they will not but stranger things have happen before. Your guess is as guess as mine!
— Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (26)
18 rafales would cost at least usd4 billion or rm18billion ringgit if previous sales are compared to.
what would that mean to the rakyat? probably increased gst, more cuts to subsidies etc.
my take, with a wider spectrum of capabilities for usd3billion.
https://www.malaysiandefence.com/rmaf-2020/
Hahahaha , u crack me up, need to pay bills have to write Aviation week!!! Wow Rafale on discounts !! Just like what i said, Its a boy wet dream having, Sukhoi, Hornets, Rafale, maybe Saudi's Typhoons or Tornados or Eagles, its becoming like Gump's box of chocolate, you dont know what you will get.
And yes many cold sweat and a big migraine
Defence costs money and the money needs to be spent. It is not a luxury but a necessity. We already spend less on defence than many other countries and a good mark to achieve is 2% GDP.
We need to stop being so lembik/lemah.
Then trouble will come looking for us like recent events have shown.
If government dun have fund for MRCA, what MINDEF / RMAF alternative plan? Extend the MIG without upgrade or just leave it.....
please...do not do that Malaysia gov...
If we do buy the Rafale, another question is, can we afford to regularly fly them?
The operating costs of the rafale is one of the most expensive in the world. It is roughly double the operating costs of an F-16.
Then can we afford to spend money to maintain them?
The current serviceability rate of French air force Rafales is lower than even our own SU-30MKM. The serviceability rate of the Dassault Rafale fighter jet in service with the French Air Force is only 48.5%, according to information given to a French lawmaker by the government in November 2016.
Can we actually afford a Fighter at costs (buying and operating) that is higher than the current SU-30MKM? What we need is a more affordable fighter than can perform most of the regular peacetime missions like QRA, air policing, surveillance, patrol.
Also, its all in the deal.
Lets say we buy $10 billion in jets but they buy the same amount of one of our exports. That won't be so bad would it.
A very low interest loan is also very attractive rather than 12%!!
Probably NOT. Better buy 20 Gripen's, FA-50's or F-16's and/or buy 10 more Hawk 208 and be done with it.
Or the alternative avenue would be FC-17's. Just my two cents....
I doubt that it'll go through despite well known French sales reputation ;) among TUDM, unless the gov gets involved in some creative accounting. The upcoming PRU is paramount, and though not proven (yet, but with SPRM recent records we can hope), it is widely understood that truck loads of money will be diverted to political campaigns (and the associated shenanigans)..
Damn it, Malaysia! Just buy the damn Ducks* already and save us the trouble! XP
*: It's a nickname for the Rafales typically used by a French dude in a forum, where I'm one of the members.