SHAH ALAM: See my way. Within the last one week or so, the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has announced a slew of orders from missiles to radars to Taiwan. The latest announcement include the sale of up to one hundred (100) Harpoon Coastal Defense Systems (HCDS) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2.37 billion.
The notification is required under US laws though unlike others it is likely the deal with Taiwan will go ahead. What is this got to do with Malaysia then? Nothing really but as you are aware the RMAF has issued international tenders for two MPA and one UAS system. So it is likely that it will garner some interest from US companies.
As both items – MPA and UAS – will be sold via the Foreign Military Sales contract, a notification of a potential sale will have to be made through the DSCA. A notification for the purchase of 18 Boeing Super Hornet F/A-18E/F were made in 2002 though we never followed up with a formal request to buy them.
With the closing date of the UAS tender on November 26 and the MPA on December 3, it is unclear whether there will be a notification from the DSCA to the US Congress on the possible purchase of an American made system for both.
If there is none, it will simply mean that RMAF will not be considering any American made equipment for both. It must be noted that American companies – Boeing and General Atomics – had previously taken part in both DSA and LIMA series exhibitions to market their stuff.
— Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (2)
@ marhalim
" If there is none, it will simply mean that RMAF will not be considering any American made equipment for both "
If there is none, it could be that any american offer would be through direct commercial sale.
For example, there is no DSCA notification for the sale of RSAF F-15SG.
"it will garner some interest from US companies" For a mere 2 MPAs and 1 UAS system? I don't think it warrants their interest unless we're talking about 2 Poseidons and 1 battery of Reapers.
But what about US made equipment as part of a system, does it required to be declared under DSCA? I mean something like the MSA system that is being put into a non-US plane (CN235), let's say the Government is interested in such a config for the MPA buy, will it come up in DSCA?
Reply
It depends as the systems on the CN 235s are mostly direct commercial contracts not through FMS. It may come out through other US Government contracting notices as in the radars we are getting