SHAH ALAM: What’s up Flanker. For those keeping up on defence matters on Malaysian Defence and others will be aware that the RMAF is keeping its MRCA fleet – the F/A-18 Hornets and Sukhoi Su-30MKM – beyond 2030. In the next few years – if it happens – the Hornet fleet could be supplemented by around 18 Hornets purchased from Kuwait. The 2019 Defence White Paper (DWP) and RMAF’s own CAP 55 plan, also said the same thing as does the various statements by the successive defence ministers since 2019.
So, it was not surprise to me when Free Malaysia Today on March 23 reported that the RMAF Sukhois can fly for 20 more years, subject to available of parts. That said some people were quite surprised by the fact.
PETALING JAYA: The Royal Malaysian Air Force’s Sukhoi Su-30MKM fighter jets are capable of remaining airworthy for about two more decades, the primary contractor maintaining the Russian-made aircraft said.
Aerospace Technology Systems Corporation Sdn Bhd (ATSC) CEO Lt Col (Rtd) Fadzar Suhada said the company was capable of ensuring the 16-year-old fighter jets – the country’s most advanced and sophisticated – were maintained until 2035, subject to the availability of parts.
He also said the company could completely overhaul the Su-30MKM in Malaysia – which they had done since 2007 – at half the cost, compared with if they were to be sent to Russia for the purpose.
It is understood that each Su-30 requires a sum of US$27 million to be completely overhauled for every 1,500 hours of flight or 10 years of operation.
What is surprising is the need for the story as it is a well-known fact that we intend to fly the Sukhois for that long. The writer – a former colleague with the NST, who stayed until retirement – may well be doing it simply to get a story out. AFAIK there is no plan to retire both the Hornets and Flankers as simply there is no money to replace them in the next few years.
There is a case for their replacement in the next five years, though again the issue of funding is the biggest one that need to be overcome. This comes even before the discussion about the actual platform.
— Malaysian Defence
View Comments (61)
How about our Anti tank missiles that needed replacements? Bakhar Shikan? Metis?
How about our requirements for Anti air missiles?
How about our requirements for Medium range air defense?
And how about bids for MPA (is it confirmed?), Drones and Radar?
No updates huh?
Personally I thought of the story as a sorts of sponsored article for the flankers local maintenance contractors. It's 16 years old and it due for $27 mil refit but historically speaking we only operated MIG for 20 years.
Slovakia supposedly get viper at 70% discount for sending MIG to Ukraine while UK is offering 1 to 1 exchanged with eurofighter while the LCA might drop in price by probably half as the Intergration cost of aesa & weapons had been paid off by the first batch. Then there's the question of where the money for the Kuwaiti hornet would comes from. Our hornet itself is pretty old & won't be economical to operate it in 5 more years. So we maybe well of accelerating the MRCA program or just pull a sweeden use LCA with a AW&C exclusively for some time period.
The government has Plenty of options to choose from & the DWP is due for a review in the next 2 years where they can justified a rewrite of their earlier policy. So I won't say that the flankers would continue flying is a certainty.
Solving the Chicken & Egg problems is the highest priority for Malaysia Madani government. Defense issues are way down the list..
Kamal - "No updates huh?"
There are updates on various things. Just a matter of you keeping track of what Marhalim posts.
Zaft - "Our hornet itself is pretty old & won’t be economil"
You know this for a fact or you speculating yet again? Yes they getting older and yes airframes tend to get maintenance intensive as they age but the hours they fly plays a part as do a host of other things. Our Hornets are quite a while away from reaching the point where they "won’t be economical to operate it in 5 more years"
- if that were the case we wouldn't be trying to get Kuwaiti Hornets which are older than ours ...
Zaft - "The government has Plenty of options to choose from & the DWP is due for a review in the next 2"
You make it sound like the government has made it a priority to meet our defence needs and has made a commitment to adhere to what's stipulated in the White Paper which I will remind you is a politically driven exercise which excites fan boys and those who don't know any better but means nothing without firm commitments.
Zaft - " So I won’t say that the flankers would continue flying is a certainty"
As it stands there remains the strong likelihood that they will be around for at least a decade more. If you want to talk about "certainties" based on hypothetical factors I can also say there's no "certainty" that King Kong won't have an altercation with Godzilla on top KLCC.
There is no plan and no talk of any MRCA replacement (Hornet and Su-30MKM) within this decade (2021-2030). The major purchase for this decade would be the LCA/FLIT batch 1 and Batch 2 buy.
Which is why RMAF is looking to add more Legacy Hornets as an Intrim MRCA within this decade. Legacy Hornets are looked at as it will not need major integration to the existing resources. But there is a downside to this, as the official support for Legacy Hornet will stop around 2028-30, with the big likelihood that RMAF will be the sole user of Legacy Hornets after 2030
The Su-30MKM, if to be used for 20 more years, that would be to at least 2043. That is about 36 years old. From now till its planned retirement, if they are currently going through their 1st overhaul, they have to go through only 1 more overhaul. The MKI/MKM/MKA/SM version would be used by its major users probably past the 2043 date. The next overhaul would be in more than 10 years from now, with no way to predict what kind of situation Russia will be in at the time. For comparison, in RSAF next gen 2040 plan, their F-15SG would still be operational alongside its F-35B.
Literally a non news
Wong ... - '' The major purchase for this decade would be the LCA/FLIT batch 1 and Batch 2 buy.''
But this is Malaysia : priorities can and do shift. It's not inconceivable that we might not see a follow on LCA order and might see a MRCA one instead prior t0 2030.
Wong ... - '' with the big likelihood that RMAF will be the sole user of Legacy Hornets after 2030''
Then it will be daft to get them as even if Kuwait signs on the dotted line today; getting U.S. export approval can take 1-2 years.
Wong ... - '' with no way to predict what kind of situation Russia will be in at the time.''
India is of far more importance when it comes to assistance with Su-30 sustainment. As it stands it's unlikely we'll go to Russia for anything unless we really have to. The problem is not CAATSA [the Yanks won't sanction us for buying spares and it will be counterproductive for them to do so at a time when they seek a united front against China] but the negative political baggage that comes with it from Europe especially.
What is the point of having old expensive fighter jets that can't detect the enemy?
Just use the cheap LCAs for QRA and patrols.
Zaft - ''but historically speaking we only operated MIG for 20 years.''
What has that got to do with anything? We retired them prematurely because we didn't want to overhaul the RD-33s and wanted to channel the costs savings somewhere else. We can't and won't retire the Flanker fleet prematurely and this has been widely acknowledged.
Zaft - ''Slovakia supposedly get viper at 70% discount for sending MIG to Ukraine while UK is offering 1 to 1 exchanged with eurofighter''
So? We are a non aligned nation and will not send anything to the Ukraine [neither has any ASEAN member] and it remains to be seen if anybody wants Typhoon Tranche 1s because they are too expensive to upgrade and have software issues; as it stands only suitable for air defence missions.
If we want to induct 5th gen aircraft, 2030 (and beyond) would be a more realistic timeframe where KF-21 would finally reach its supposed potential as 5th gen aircraft, TFX would enter serial production and America would finally open up F-35 export to other countries that isn't partner in JSF programme as major superpower will commence on fielding 6th gen aircraft