SHAH ALAM: The final curtain. It appears that the end is near for RMAF Bae Systems Hawk fleet. RMAF chief Gen Ackbal Mohd Samad told a press conference today that the Hawk fleet will not be upgraded.
Based on this it appears that the Hawks – the 108s and 208s – will be retired once the RMAF got its new light combat aircraft (LCA)/fighter-lead-in trainer (FLIT) within the next five years. Initial funding for the LCA/FLIT, according to Ackbal had been approved by the government for next year.
RMAF Hawk MK108 (front) and MK208 (behind). RMAF
It had been RMAF plan to withdraw the Hawks once the LCA/FLIT are introduced into service. This is inevitable once the new aircraft enter service as the LCA/FLIT are meant to do the same jobs as the Hawks.
Two RMAF Hawks flying over Penang at the recent 25th Silver Jubilee. TUDM
Ackbal did not reveal the number of LCA/FLIT to be funded but RMAF has proposed that 18 aircraft be procured from 2021 (RMK12) with another 18 to be bought in RMK13, for a total of 36 as envisaged under the Cap 55 plan.
Yakovlev Yak-130 Mitten performing a display at LIMA 2019. Zaq Sayuti.
He said the procurement for the LCA/FLIT will be further discussed with Defence Ministry officials and it will likely go through an open or a qualified tender. I am assuming that it will be a qualified tender as RMAF is likely to have identified the candidates from the eight aircraft submitted by the manufacturers from the RFI issued in December 2018.
RMAF M30-14 C-130H Hercules landing at Subang after conducting the 2016 Merdeka Flypast.
As for the other upgrades, Ackbal confirmed that the C-130H fleet will be upgraded though he did not reveal whether it will be the same one as contracted out in 2014 but never started.
As for the Nuri replacement, a tender (likely a qualified tender also) to lease its replacement was issued in 15 October and closed on 17 December. He declined to give the basic specifications for the helicopters being sought for lease apart from saying that it will be used for utility purposes only to reduce the cost.
Ackbal said RM60 million allocated for the maintenance and support of the Nuri will be used to lease the replacements.
— Malaysian Defence
View Comments (89)
26 years - well done and thank you for the excellence service,
great!
Good news is that the LCA/LIFT is greenlighted.
the unknowns is the actual budget amount for LCA/LIFT.
Best aircraft for this IMO would be the FA/TA-50, more so now with air refueling probe is being integrated and paid for by KAI.
We need to get this in the numbers enough for both east and west malaysia.
In the meantime it would be a good idea to offer those hawks to american adversarial training companies. They would like the advantage of a comparatively low cost fighter jet equipped with a radar like the hawk 208.
Is it a wise decision tho? Even if the contract is sign next year it will take at least 3 to 4 years for the plane to arrive and as much time for the entire fleet to achieve FOC and that's assuming it's a smooth sailing throughout
Although positive, they (RMAF) hasn't released information on any shortlisted candidates? and the number of aircraft to be acquired?
I hope this would be something substantial, maybe 40 - 50 aircraft instead of the measly 18 like they usually got in the past.
The Hawks will soldier on for the next few years, but without even announcing a replacement candidate? Genius.
Reply
The LCA/FLIT is the chosen candidate, we known about that for two years now. In a perfect world we would already know the aircraft type.
ASM - “ and the number of aircraft to be acquired?”
That information has long been released. There is a long term requirement for 36 (as per FAP 55 assuming the plans stays intact) and under the next Malaysia Plan funding is supposedly being provided for an initial 12.
The LCA/LIFT contract IMO should be signed off by end of next year for the aircraft to be delivered by 2025.
We desperately need a fighter with high enough performance to do QRA and CAP, but with low enough operating costs for us to regularly fly them from both east and west malaysia. We need them in the quantity that we can base them and operationally fly them on both east and west malaysia. We cannot have a LCA/LIFT fleet of just a token quantity.
Right now we have high performance and high operating cost, with low performance and low operating cost on the other side of the scale.
If I am the one who is planning for it my plan would be for 36 FA-50MY and 16 TA-50MY.
for RMK12 2021-2025 to pay for 24 FA-50MY (USD900 million) and 16 TA-50MY (USD450 million)
another 12 FA-50MY (USD450 million) paid for in RMK13 2026-2030.
1x Fighter Sqn in Labuan (QRA east) - 6 Skn Cakra (16x FA-50MY)
1x Fighter Sqn in Kuantan (QRA west) -17 Skn Bats (16x FA-50MY)
1x LIFT/OCU Sqn Butterworth - 15 Skn Black Panthers (12x TA-50MY)
1x Adversary Sqn Kuantan - 19 Skn Smokey Bandits (4x TA-50MY, 4x FA-50MY)
Or no adversary sqn and 18 aircraft each in fighter sqns and 16 aircraft in LIFT/OCU sqn.
Dundun- “Is it a wise decision”
Not the most ideal arrangement but one the RMAF has to work with.
What’s really flawed is the current decision to get only an initial 12. By the time follow on ones arrive; the first batch will already be several years old; that’s even assuming follow ones are ordered without any delays; as per the plan.. On top of that the RMAF will have to juggle with a mere initial 12.
ASM - “measly 18 like they usually got in the past”
That was based on 2 factors.
- Our policy of just spending the bare minimum to have some level of capability.
- The number of fast jet pilots we have and the number that make it past FTC3 annually. As it is; only a limited number of pilots are accepted annually and of that a much smaller number are streamed for fast jets. Even if the government decided it wanted to order say 36 or a larger number of jets; it would us a while to acquire the plots and ground support people.
Boeing/Saab T-7A RedHawk....
@ azlan
From bernama PTU interview
The request is for 18 in RMK12, with another 18 in RMK13.
http://www.bernama.com/en/general/news.php?id=1913620
Still, i hope my idea would be workable. But why just 12 in RMK13? Because I want TUDM to get AWACs too in RMK13.
https://www.malaysiandefence.com/options-for-rmaf-cap-55/