SHAH ALAM: The long and winding road. In a post on the LCA, I commented that RMAF is not getting any new fighters at least until 2035. And today Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu told parliament basically the same thing. He also said in the near future, RMK12, the plan is to concentrate on the procurement of the MPA, UAV and the LCA.
He was answering an oral question on the proposal from Russia to buy back the MIG-29s for two squadrons of MIG-35s.The proposal was made only recently. As usual the answer to the question is convoluted but in the end he said the proposal was still being considered. Again as it must be noted that the plan to sustain the Sukhoi Su-30MKM and Boeing F/A-18D Hornets are part of the RMAF Cap 55 plan which has been confirmed in the soon to be published, Defence White Paper. The DWP supports the CAP 55 plan and it is likely that the Russian swap proposal will not be entertained though it must be noted stranger things had happened before.
From Air Times. I will post the original transcript from the Hansard once its available usually tomorrow.
KUALA LUMPUR, 21 Nov – Menteri Pertahanan, Mohamad Sabu menyatakan perkhidmatan jet pejuang F/A-18D Hornet dan Sukhoi SU-30MKM akan dikekalkan sehingga tempoh Rancangan Malaysia Ke-13
“TUDM akan terus mengekalkan pesawat pejuang F/A-18D Hornet dan Sukhoi Su-30MKM untuk tempoh RMK-12 dan RMK-13,” jelas Mohamad ketika sesi soal jawab di Dewan Rakyat.
RMK merupakan rancangan pembangunan kerajaan Malaysia untuk tempoh 5 tahun. Tempoh RMK-12 adalah pada tahun 2021-2025 manakala RMK-13 adalah pada 2026-2030.
Terdahulu, Mohamad menjelaskan perolehan pesawat rondaan maritim (MPA) dan pesawat tanpa pemandu aras altitud sederhana (MALE UAV) adalah keperluan yang diutamakan pada masa kini.
Beliau menambah, Kementerian Pertahanan Malaysia pada ketika ini memberi fokus kepada perolehan aset pertahanan bercirikan kawalan, rondaan sempadan dan rondaan sempadan maritim bagi menghalang pencerobohan asing.
“Keperluan terkini adalah perolehan MPA, Male UAV dan pesawat keupayaan tempur ringan serta latihan juruterbang melalui program Light Combat Aircraft (LCA),
“Walaupun perolehan jet pejuang baharu tiada dalam perancangan Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia (TUDM), Kementerian Pertahanan masih meneliti tawaran kerajaan Rusia dari pelbagai aspek termasuk aspek ekonomi dan kewangan yang perlu diteliti,” ujarnya
Selain daripada itu, beliau turut menegaskan aspek penyelenggaraan dan baikpulih (MRO) diambil kira dalam sebarang perolehan jet pejuang pada masa hadapan.
Pada masa yang sama, beliau menjelaskan bahawa pihaknya berusaha sebaik mungkin bagi memastikan pesawat sedia ada mempunyai penyelenggaraan yang baik bagi menjamin tahap kesiapsiagaan pesawat.
Beliau menambah, tahap kesiapsiagaan jet pejuang Sukhoi Su-30MKM telah mencapai tahap 75% dan diselenggarakan oleh syarikat tempatan, ATSC dengan perbelanjaan sebanyak RM 200 juta setahun.
Menyentuh tawaran oleh kerajaan Rusia, beliau menyatakan pihak kerajaan masih meneliti tawaran tersebut.
With no money allocated for the Su-30MKM and Hornets replacement in RMK13, it is likely that their replacements would only be commissioned into service, at the earliest, in the 2035 to 2040 period. I was told to ensure that the MKM remained in service until that time, the government planned to double the money for its MRO for the next two RMKs. The Hornets could be supplemented by the ex-Kuwaiti ones if the deal to buy them could be implemented, which at the moment, remained a long shot.
— Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (40)
Why oh why people (and the menhan) keeps thinking that the Su-30MKM needs replacement anyway? It is just freaking 10 years old! It is a very important point that should be stressed!
Our neighbour, Thailand, just upgraded its 40 year old F-5 tigers with BVR missiles, new radar and datalinks to be used for 15 more years!!
The wording should be our current MRCAs does not need replacment before 2030 period. I dont see any problem for the MKM to fly until 2040. What we need is hornet replacement around post 2030 for a higher spec 5th gen fighter, as a counter to the perceived profilation of 5th gen fighters in our region at that time.
Is there a chance the mig winning d lca contract?
Reply
The MIG swap proposal is a stand alone offer and got nothing to do with the LCA. Whether or not, if accepted, will have any effect in the LCA deal, I have no idea at the moment. But it doesn't jive with the DWP and the CAP 55 though.
https://www.malaysiandefence.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/ACMI.jpg
in that picture
The hornet that is flying next to the camera ship has the latest AIM-9X Sidewinder on its wingtip rail, with 2x Enhanced Laser Guided Training Rounds (ELGTRs) under its wing. The MKM seems to have an ACMI pod too.
If d Russian willing 2 set up their Mro centre here why not d mig. He3.Imagine if we have 36 mig together with 36 sukhoi n hornet .lmao. forgive me for dreaming this.wakaka
@Marhalim
"the ex-Kuwaiti ones if the deal to buy them"
Sorry but is this the Menhan opinion or yours? If this is the Government's opinion, then that's great to hear as I was pushing for that. We should wait for 5th gen tech to mature and more 5th gen fighter designs to come out before we take the plunge but in mean time we need more F-18s to tide us over. However, early retirement for the MKMs is pure bonkers. TUDM shouldn't be disillusioned with the maintenance cost of the MKMs as any other heavyweight fighter would be just as costly. They shouldn't be akin to buying a BMW and expecting Kancil servicing cost.
Reply
Not my opinion but it is what the DWP is addressing
Those additional MKM and Hornet is necessary to cover for holes left by Migs. LCA, while should have much diverse role than MiG-29, can never truly replace it as our go to interceptor and air superiority aircraft (not to mention that we're short on airframe even before the migs were retired). Not when Singapore and especially Indonesia is beefing up their air capability. Should've give us enough headroom whenever some of the birds is under maintenance
Ideally we should have
>18+4 MKM
>8+4 F/A-18D (+ 2 more as spares)
>36 LCA
and 18 LIFT
Reply
There is no plans for MKMs as they are practically still new, additional Hornets are needed as the fleet is already 20 years old and their numbers are smaller
@Ujang
MIG is not part of the LCA equation. Russia's representative is the YAK-130.
IF we do get the YAK-130s and so happens the MIG swap, we could effectively have a Russian air fleet. That would then make selecting MRCA much more straightforward (SU-57).
if can,just sell the MIG for money and add the money for LCA program...no need to add another type of jet fighter. and i really hope we can get Kuwait old hornet to add for our hornet fleet.
cant wait for DWP to be present at parliament...
The trade in calls for all our Mig-29 in exchange for 4-6 MKM so might as well get more MKM. At the very least we have additional airframe to go around. If we sell them for cash there's no way we can get the same value as said 4-6 MKM. We'd be lucky if we can get 100 million dollars out of all our migs (and all the associated parts and inventories)
Reply
No lah the trade in offer, the one offered by Putin was for the Migs to be exchanged with two squadrons of Mig-35. The trade in for the MKMs for the MIGs was offered earlier at Lima 19 and before that. The swap for the Mig 35 supersedes the Mig to MKM deal
About the ex-Kuwaiti Hornet.
~
"Not my opinion but it is what the DWP is addressing"
Glad to heard that, at least there was an offical move by government to get those Hornet.