SHAH ALAM: Water Under The Bridge. Several days after Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu revealed in Parliament that only four out of 18 Sukhoi Su-30MKM Flanker of the RMAF is serviceable, the service finally responded with a statement on the issue.
It stated that the lack of funding and provisions for the 10th year service program (10YS) as the reason for the low number of aircraft available currently.
It said the lack of funding was confirmed in an audit conducted by the National Audit Department in 2017. (This audit report was not made public though another report on the delayed Sukhoi Technical Centre was made public in 2016, ED).
The statement also stated that only one Flanker is currently undergoing the 10YS at the Gong Kedak airbase as part of a pilot program undertaken by the service and its current maintenance providers. This was because the one proposed by the OEM was deemed too expensive. Among others the 10YS will have to be conducted at its facilities in Russia.
As the OEM 10YS was beyond RMAF means, and as OEM was finalising the scope of the program – this was the first time the MKM had reached its 10 year milestone, it was decided that a pilot program be initiated at Gong Kedak by the RMAF and its vendors and service providers to determine whether the 10YS could be conducted locally
The pilot program has shown that the 10YS could be conducted locally and at a reduce cost. However as the pilot program continued to be developed and optimised, the 12 Flankers which had reached their decade milestone will not be available for operations.
This leave only six aircraft which had not the reached the decade milestone available for operations.
The service further noted that apart from completing a comprehensive 10YS plan, it was still constrained by the lack of funding. “Due to this RMAF needs the proper allocation to ensure the Flankers are capable of conducting its operations.
–Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (30)
Meaning RMAF started the SLEP localisation wayyy too late! They should have initiated the pilot program at least 2 years ago, when they already knew going back to Russia was a no-go. Money problems is no excuse when we can even send A400Ms back to Airbus for enhancement.
Who else would have capability to SLEP Flankers independent of Russian support? Perhaps India, China & Ukraine. Why not seek their help earlier on?
Lack of funding sounds like a cover excuse. My gut feeling is, RMAF was unable to send them back to Russia (due to MH17) and they waited and waited and waited until the pilot project viability kicked them into action.
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The A400M enhancement was paid by Airbus as the aircraft was under warranty
So basically my graph is almost correct
https://scontent.fkul14-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/38223874_1784528878329528_9138671686890029056_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=e39f4a78716036ca35f86e980f419ef6&oe=5BCFD48A
But the actual situation is worse as the overhaul has not even started.
Question now.
- if we can't afford to fly MKMs, surely we cannot afford to fly Typhoons or Rafales.
- Just tell the actual cost of 10 year servicing for all to see.
- Can the parliment approve an emergency budget to complete the 10 year servicing?
- Why we need something that not only cheap to buy, but economical to fly and maintain.
Its all about the money then. Can Ministry of Defence get the proper allocation?
This is it, one of my nightmare is The Fall of RMAF. Now 4 of MKMs In service and how long MKM SLEP is gonna Wait. ?
Would you say the Minister took a calculated risk with his statement in Parliament, to convince not only Tun but the public what's depleting states the forces are in? Only left less then two months to budget session...
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No lah, I think he went off script based on the recording of the parliamentary proceedings. He went to Gong Kedak almost two weeks earlier where the challenges facing the 11th Sqdn was briefed to him in full detail as he is the minister. They wanted him to push for the funding.
Is the local vendor up to it to upgred the MKM wit combo equipmen on board? i tink beter go back to OEM to avoid sistem conflict. Look at MKI.
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The local vendors are just the components suppliers
People like Tony Pua who are quick to argue and opposed the proper allocation for defence before are now in the government.
So please, no more excuses after this.
Mates, we simply can't divorce the MH17 shooting from the equation. It divided Msian opinions. I for one won't grovel for Russian help after my kin were murdered by Russian separatists. I read somewhere even the Indian MKIs are not all serviceable. I pity the TUDM bosses here, getting brickbats when those volleys should have been aimed at MinDef and the last government for not not giving them the said funds! We have no business getting those A400s. It should be delayed then to allow funding for the Sukhois.
If YB Mat Sabu wanted to make the public sit up at his revelation, well we all wide awake now. It's up to the PM and Finance Minister to see the gravity of the situation.
Perhaps its now worthwhile to ask the air force to check if the Skyhawks and F5Es can be brought back to life! (BTW, that's a grim joke).
And hopefully, we won't hear of any peace activist hollering that the nation's funds are again being squandered by 'non-essential' agendas.
This will take a few year to fix. How it become like tis? For sure rmaf goal not become like kiwi or brunei air force. Swallow the world embarasment. Go back to the basic start from zero and stick to western or ruskie only.
All not lost. Work wit ur frens and together secure ur border and region. But the straregy picture in peninsula and suround area has change. Exampel Sg can longer expect north be secure must act acordingly if shit hit this fan.
the question remaining is:
-our menhan simply did just blurt out the info right??i mean its not a calculated move.
-do we really have other company right now which could do 10th years maintenance check?or we just have to wait for the company to form partnership and then work can be done?
hopefully this open the eyes of new people in govt about our military spending.
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Based on the recording I think the minister had revealed the numbers by accident. There is only ATSC, no other local company involved in the maintenance. The others are vendors, the direct purchasing agents, registered with the ministry and finance. When RMAF and ATSC want to buy parts, Russian or otherwise, the DPA will source it for them. Some parts like the EW system are purchased directly in this case from SAAB. I guessing Thales or Safran stuff are also bought directly from them