SEA countries' air force acquisiton:comparison

South East Asian(SEA) countries recently are on shopping spree,buying a wide range of military equipments,either to replace obsolete existing equipment,or to bolster their capabilites(mostly the latter).Among those who had the attention the most are the air force,with countries are fielding new equipments to match their neighbors' capabilities.Some see this as an arm race,while others view it as a healthy development towards a collectively more secure region(the author prefers the latter).To give some insight,let's have an overall view of the air force capability,currently and in the near future.

Malaysia

RMAF Su-30MKM Flanker

Malaysia already acquired 18 Russian state-of-the-art Su-30MKM multirole fighter with all aircraft already being delivered.This aircraft,which is derived from Indian Su-30MKI(without Israeli equipment,such as Litening targeting pod) is considered as one of the best fighter in the world(with exception to Boeing F-22A and Eurofighter Typhoon).Mikoyan MiG-29N is scheduled to be retired in 2010,due to high maintainance cost,thus RMAF is planning on acquiring its replacement.Rosoboronexport,a Russian military firm,supposedly is negotiating for a trade-in deal between all those Fulcrum for another batch of 6 Su-30MKM,although no further decision has been made.Other than that ,Malaysia has also long searching for another 18 multirole aircraft,to be a stablemate to the Flanker(similar to Fulcrum-Hornet acquisition more than a decade ago).Boeing F/A-18F is said to be a strong contender,although Mindef is also reviewing other aircrafts,such as Dassault Rafale,Eurofigher Typhoon and Saab JAS -39 Gripen.

AEW system,which Malaysia has long for,might be acquired in the near future.Saab Erieye is thought to be the most possible candidate,with question right now is the suitable platform to install such system.New replacement of transport helicopters are also being said to be acquired in the near future(with old helos has served for about four decades).Eurocopter EC-725 is almost being acquired,although some political bullshyt  problems forced such acquisition to be temporarily on hold,.Malaysia also has bought a number of Airbus A400M,which will bolster RMAF tactical transport capability.Attack helicopter is also on the list,although pressing budget and plenty of other acquisition make them to be on low priority list.

Singapore

RSAF F-15SG Strike Eagle

Considered as the most advanced air force in the region,RSAF(as in "Republic of Singapore Air Force") are still looking for hardware to improve their capability.Currently they are in the process of receiving their advanced F-15SG (which is derived from F-15E,the most potent aircraft in the world with legendary record).A total of 24 is acquired with more as an option.These Eagles,alongside bulk of their F-16C/D Fighting Falcon,poses a strategic might and awe to any neighboring countries.Singapore are also involved in F-35 JSF projects,which means they will field JSF in the future and thus become the first nation in SEA to field a 5th generation aircraft.

RSAF will also acquire Phalcon AEW system(which is installed on Gulfstream aircraft) and thus greatly enhancing their AEW&C capability(even before the acquisition they already have E-2C Hawkeye AEW system).RSAF has acquired S-70 helicopters for anti ship/submarine task and become the newest member to their helicopter fleet(which includes CH-47 Chinook,AH-64D Apache and Super Puma,among others).F-5 fighter,although isn't as fancy as the one mentioned earlier,should also be included,since they already upgrade and modernize it into a BVR-capable fighter.

Thailand

RTAF JAS-39 Gripen and Saab 340 AEW aircraft

Thailand also doesn't want to lag behind in modernizing its air force.Recently they already acquired six Swedish state-of-the-art JAS-39 multirole fighter aircraft.Saab 340 AEW aircraft are also being bought along with the Gripen. Another batch of 6 Gripen and one more Saab 340(with Erieye AEW system) is planned in the next decade and RTAF planned to have at least eight JAS-39C,4 JAS-39D(two-seater) and 2 Saab 340 AEW aircraft in near future).

Structural upgrade is already being commenced to bulk of RTAF F-16 fleet(which consisted of Block 15 OCU/ADF version),although full MLU upgrade,which effectively brings old F-16 to Block 50 capability,is still not being done,due to budget restraint(RTAF is focusing on buying new figher currently) and since they are studying on several MLU options.Other stuff that has being bought are ATR-72 transport aircraft and S-92 helos,although both are being used for VIP transport.

Indonesia

TNI-AU Su-30MK2 Flanker

With arms embargo being imposed by the US about a decade ago,plus 1997 financial crisis,really blew Indonesian Air Force(TNI-AU) hard,with many of their fighter were unable to fly(due to lack of spare parts).Even with the economy being gradually recovered,natural disaster(2004 tsunami) in Acheh forced the government to allocate more fund on recovering and reconstructing the region(and thus military budget is being slashed).

Currently TNI-AU have a mix aircraft of eastern and western origin.Among recent procurement are Su-30MK2 Flanker from Russia.TNI-AU has bought Flanker of different configuration(Su-27SK,Su-30MK2) and planned to acquire more to have at least one full squadron(12 to 18 aircraft).They are also planning on acquiring new F-16C/D,as well as modernizing their existing F-16A/B.They have also ordered a number of Embraer Super Tucano to replace their grounded OV-10F Bronco.TNI are also looking forward to upgrade their existing tactical transport fleet,which currently in poor condition.Previous embargo has made TNI-AU to go the same route as Malaysia,that is by diversifying equipment sources.

Vietnam

VPAF Su-30MK2V Flanker

After the reunification of Vietnam,Vietnam People Air Force(VPAF) has inherited a large war booty(I mean military equipment) from both side.However,these equipment already showed their age as time goes by and currently are considered as obsolete.While they still operate some of these old equipment,Vietnam also began to modernize its air force.With political stability,comes economic prosperity(Vietnam is one of the fastest growing economy in Asia) and thus began to spend money to bolster its military as well,especially the air force.

Vietnam already bought bulk of Russian Flanker,with the first one being operational since 1998.It is estimated that VPAF has at least 36 Flankers(Su-27SK and Su-30MK2V variants) with more being bought.They have also refurbished their UH-1H fleet(from ARVN, Armed Forces South Vietnam) with at least 17 in flyable condition.VPAF also seeking to acquire more C-130H/J as their old Hercules are already in bad shape.Few can be said about VPAF since it is hard to find information about them.

The rest of SEA countries

Other ASEAN countries are also looking forward to improve their air force capability,although lack of funds,or necessity hampered the plan.Cambodia,being completely out-classed and out-equipped by its Siamese neighbor,allegedly has allocated some money to buy Chinese JF-17 multirole fighter to match Thailand F-16(and future Gripen) fighter fleet,though no further decision has been made.Myanmar already had a relatively modern MiG-29,possibly to deal with neighboring Bangladesh,which in turn,also bought the same aircraft.Brunei,a small,rich,prosperous countries,is also looking forward to acquire a squadron of fighter aircraft to complement their mostly helicopter fleet.Among possible choice are British BAE Hawk,South Korean KAI T-50,American Lockheed F-16 and Swedish Saab JAS-39 Gripen.Though no orders have been placed,military pundits said that Brunei needs at least 6 to 8 aircraft to protect its interest.The Philippines,as mentioned previously,has long needs replacement for their retired F-5.However budget restraint and their current threat has put the plan on hold for uncertain future.

Armed Forces of the Philippines:review

As a sabahan,I am really interested with Filipino military,because of their claim to my beloved Fatherland,and because my mother is from the Philippines(she frequently told me about military raid in Zamboanga by Tora-Tora aircraft,which,after some research,is actually American T-28 Trojan turboprop trainer/COIN aircraft)

Overview

Armed Forces of the Philippines(Tagalog:Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas), ARF in short, is responsible to defend and maintain the sovereignty of Republic of the Philippines.It has 3 main branch,Army,Navy and Air Force,and also has other elements such as Marines,Coast Guard and Village Corps.

ARF has long played a significant,if not highly controversial,role in the country.With numerous attempted coup and bad human-right record,rooted deeply since Ferdinand Marcos era(although recently there are efforts to clean their image into a fully professional,neutral defence force).

Considered as the weakest armed forces between founding ASEAN countries,they are currently engaging in numerous conflicts and skirmishes with communist(New People Army) and secessionist(Moro National Liberation Front,Moro Islamic Liberation Front) insurgent forces

Army

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Army

Philippines Army(PA) has a rich traditions dated back to 16th century.But it's modern history only began when General Douglas MacArthur,under request of Filipino president Manuel L. Quezon, began to formally laid the foundation of modern Filipino army,These soldier have fought bravely against Japanese invasion until their defeat in 1945.

Still largely a counter-insurgency force.They have fought rebels from both sides(communist and secessionist). for decades.This would make them a battle-hardened soldier with many years of experience in COIN operation.

Currently their main strategic assets are limited to light armoured vehicles(composed of APC/IFV,and scorpion light tank) and field artillery,which is vital to provide protection and fire support to front line personnel against rebel forces.Budget restraint(and some other issues that will be discussed later) forced them to utilize old equipment dated as far back as WWII era,such as M3 Grease gun and M1 Carbine.

Navy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Navy

Philippines Navy(PN) is responsible to protect maritime territory and interest of the Philippines.Even from significant assistance from the US,PN is struggled to fulfill their task with old vessel and inadequate naval aviaton support(their ship of the line,the BKP Rajah Humabon,is actually a WWII escort destroyer.Without any modern electronic system/weaponry being retrofitted).

Their Marine Corps,however,are decently armed,mainly because frequent conflicts with rebel needed them to be adequately armed.They are one of the better armed amphibious force in this region.(with good landing craft and support ship)

Air Force

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Air_Force

Philippines Air Force(PAF) has suffered a significant reduce in capability,especially when their only true fighter,the F-5A Freedom Fighter,has been retired,which leaves them with no aerial superiority compared to their neighbor.(although it is not a priority right now,since their current main task is to provide ground attack/CAS to ground forces,and trasportation).

Currently their main assets are mainly composed of Aermacchi S-211 trainer/light attack aircraft,OV-10 ground attack aircraft.and Huey helos,lots of them Huey in service.

There have been the intention to acquire a replacement to those retired F-5,with either F-16MLU,upgraded second-hand F-5E,or a LIFT trainer(most possibly korean T-50),although no decision has been made.The plan is to acquire at least a squadron(12-18 aircraft) to protect the sky of the Philippines.

Other than tri-service branch,they also have other elements in ARF,such as the coast guard and village militias.

Current and beyond

With an exception to small arms and helicopter,ARF have been operating a large chunck of obsolete weapon system for years(from M3 Grease gun to BAR automatic gun to old USN,and then JMSDF destroyer).Current ARF capabilities have been hampered by severe budget cuts,particularly post-1997 economic crisis(which has severely hit Asia.Note that some of Asian countries have never recover from the crisis).However there are also a more appalling reason than that;widespread corruption,ineffective bureaucracy and (supposedly) communist element in Philippines politics.

There are effort to modernize their armed forces,through HORIZON programme.Under this programme,a step-by-step modernization is initiated,replacing old equipment with a better one(maybe not new,but definitely fare better that previous weapon they are replacing).However,with the pace of these upgrade,not to mention the setback mentioned earlier,a fully modernized,conventional,network centric armed force would not be realized for a decade to come.They are still a counter-insurgency force and until they are able to defeat their adversary,they would,and should remain as so.

Rant(ver. 1):Ignorance within malaysian

Everytime I spend time in local forums/blogs I can't help but noticed some bloody ignorance by our own citizen,that is ignorance about our military.Everytime I see people undermining,if not insulting our own military capabilites,like they know anything better.Whenever there's discussion regarding future military acquisition these people will cry "wasting people money LAH", "no need LAH", "we have no enemy LAH", "rasuah LAH", and other endless whine.But ironically when they were asked about their reasoning for giving such statement, they will give reference either from comic books,video game,hollywood movies,or worse, the "I know LAH".

What the hell wrong with malaysians?Does 2 decades of peace and prosperity already taken it's toll?Don't they know there are already subversive movement trying to infiltrate our country(JI,LTTE,heck maybe even some south american separatist group trying to turn Malaysia as transit to fuel their movement),not to mention our claim on Spratly and some unfinished ZEE area claim.And then there's inactive claim of Sabah from the philippines(Thank God their military isn't at the same level as us to exercise their claim significantly.Their internal conflict is a bless in disguise to us).

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/1219/berita20harian2020mig29.jpg <--crappy article is crappy.To whoever who write this crap,if you read this,wikipedia is there in the internet for a reason.USE IT.

Already today I read some crappy article about unnecessary replacement of MiG-29.While the replacement can be delayed(by upgrading it to SMT variant it can stay relevant until beyond 2020),but it is written in a style well beyond any level of relevant journalism available(The author of the article even get it wrong on ID-ing the aircraft,plus many more errors which waste my time to even bother about it).

Why doesn't Malaysian have some patriotism like the Korean,Pakistani,heck even Indonesian?(Patriotism,not nationalism.both are different).Do they really happy to see our armed forces lags behind our neighbor.Don't forget that our neighbors will looking forward to see us weaken before exercising their claim to our soil.I don't care what race a malaysian are.All are responsible to defend this country by any mean,directly or indirectly. Even with our status as the "Tiger of Islamic world" today,we already caused some concern from some countries which feel uneasy to our stance,especially about Palestine and Iraq.They will find any means to weaken us and make us their as their mere puppet.What would a Malaysian do then? I recalled words from my teacher about Malaysian today,If they know the hardship of yesteryear they will learn to appreciate their life better today.

P/S:and don't give me the "all money go to kroni LAH" either.Is that reason alone enough to suspend our military modernization? How would one defending the country effectively with obsolete weapon?Think about it.

 Our brethren at arms.They bust their butts to defend ours.So show some respect to these selfless personnel.

Other stuff that need to be bought

These weapon system have been mentioned by Mindef for procurement since 4,5 years ago.But since then,nothing concrete about the procurement programme have ever surfaced,other than rumors and possibilities mentioned by top brass within MAF.Some of the system already being tested before,however until now no significant decision has been made.

Among those weapon system are:


1-self propelled howitzer(SPH)

SPH system offered much flexible role than towed howitzer of similar caliber.It's maneuverability means it is less vulnerable to enemy counter-battery fire.It can also bombard one particular area and move to another location to do similar task,faster.

among system that has been tested by Malaysian Army include:

K9 Thunder

 http://www.military-today.com/artillery/k9_thunder.htm

Samsung Techwin K9 Thunder 155mm/52caliber SPH can be considered as one of the best SPH in the world.Currently it has only 2 true counterparts(another tracked SPH with 52 caliber gun) which is:PzH-2000(Germany) and (quite)recently, PLZ05(China).K9 can shoot a target up to 60km away with RAP ammunition,and recently they already developed a new ammunition that can shoot a target up to 100km away.Turkish Army already acquired manufacturing rights from Samsung Techwin and developed SPH based on K9 system with some modification.

Caesar

http://www.military-today.com/artillery/caesar.htm

Caeser is a lightweight SPH made by French GIAT for French Army.Being lightweight,it can be transported by C-130,A400(both which is operated or will be operated by RMAF).Also of 52caliber,which means it can also shoot RAP ammunition up to 60km away.Currently,Thailand already operated it,along side M109 SPH,in their arsenal.


2-mid-range surface to air missile system

GAPU("Gerup Artilleri Pertahanan Udara",or "Air Defence Artillery Group" in english) has operated a wide mix of weapon system ranging from bofors AA gun to Rapier SHORADS(SHOrt Range Air Defence System).However one similarities about these weapons is that it is only used for short range air defence task(less than 10km away).Anything more than that and they need to depend on their air force counterpart for assistance.Problem is RMAF right now doesn't have much aircraft to spare(currently 18 Su-30MKM+8F/A-18D,MiG-29 will be retired.and then there's the ocean to patrol and stuff like that).Over-reliance to RMAF will strain their fighter wing.

These are the system that have been reviewed previously:

Buk-M1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BUK-M1

Designed as replacement of SA-6 'KUB',Buk-M1 are capable to detect and engage multiple targets simultaneously from up to 50km,depending on the missile.Optical target seeking system means that it can also being launched without using radar to avoid anti-radiation attack(from missiles such as American HARM or british ALARM) and has better resistance to ECM.The missile itself has undergo changes as well,with current missile has effective range of up to 66% than previous one.Currently it serve with various nation including India and Syria.Current version,Buk-M1-2 (NATO code name SA-17) is available for export.


KS-1A

 http://www.sinodefence.com/army/surfacetoairmissile/hongqi12.asp

KS-1 is developed to replace aging Chinese-copy of SA-2 in service in the 80s.It is the first Chinese SAM that used phased-array radar.Little is known about this missile except that it has general resemblance to MIM-23 HAWK.China has offered the system to Malaysia along with ToT.


3-attack helicopter

Attack helicopter proved useful in many conflict,from conventional war(such as in Gulf War and Operation Iraqi Freedom) to fighting insurgency(such as in Pakistan recently).It can be used for anti-tank role,reconnaissance,close air support and fighting guerrilla.Unlike a fighter aircraft(or ground attack aircraft),attack helos can spend time loitering at one particular are for a significantly longer time,and unlike medium size transport helicopter,it is more agile and smaller size means that it is harder to be detected/locked on.

Malaysia was almost have its own attack helos in the nineties( Denel AH-2 Rooivalk from South Africa) until financial crisis forced Mindef to hold,and ultimately canceled the deal.Denel already close Rooivalk production so Malaysia have to find another options.Based on the price and the availability,the author (me) has shortlisted only 2 helos that would be a possible options for Malaysia.

AH-1Z

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AH-1Z

AH-1Z,also known as "Zulu(Z) Cobra",a continuation of the legendary Cobra series,is currently being used by USMC(US marine corps).Among upgrades compared to its predecessor includes four-blade, bearing-less, composite main rotor system, uprated transmission, and a new target sighting system.Its main armament is 3-barreled 20mm gatling gun and can be equipped with 2.75 inch rocket and can carry AIM-9 air-to-air missile and up to 16 AGM-114 hellfire missile(just like AH-64D belongs to Singapore).No export have been made for this variant yet,and Bell already offered this helos to Malaysia.

Eurocopter Tiger

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurocopter_Tiger

Eurocopter Tiger started its development as an advanced attack helicopter to fulfill French and Germany requirement in the eighties.It has several variants,from multipurpose combat helicopter to fire-support variant,depending on requirement.It is armed with 30mm cannon and can carry a combination of rockets,machine gun pod,and also Hellfire missile.Current operator include France,Germany,Spain,Pakistan and Australia.Like Bell,Eurocopter also offered this helo for Malaysia.

....................

All systems mentioned above have been reviewed by MAF for future acquisition.However due to decrease in funding,more pressing replacement(like new MPSS,APC and transport helicopter) and fvcking idiots(read:opposition party) in the parliament, these will not be materialized in near future.God Willing,we'll be able to acquire this after more urgent replacement is done and we'll be able to concentrate on bolstering our capabilities again(towards 3rd phase of modernization)

Iskander :Russian New Generation Tactical Ballistic Missile

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/russia/ss-26.htm

Designed as a new replacement of the famous Scud Missile,Iskander short range Tactical Ballistic Missile offers significant improvement compared to Scud,particularly in term of greater accuracy and reduced radar signature(to overcome counter-measure,such as interceptor missile).Russia began testing the system in 1996 and mass production began in 2005.

Iskander could be used to destroy military installation (airbase,barracks), enemy artillery battery,air defence and missile defence assets,which is shown in Russia-Georgia military conflict in august 2008.Typically armed with conventional warhead,it can be configured differently from anti personnel,delivering cluster bombs,to bunker buster,even some source reported that it can be armed with nuclear warhead to become a tactical nuclear missile.Recently,to counter NATO missile shield plan,Russia would have deployed such missile to Kaliningrad,which forced the United States to cancel the plan.

Export version,SS-26 Iskander-E(E=export),has a reduced range of about 280km with a warhead weighted about 400kg(to complement MTCR agreement that prohibits export of tactical missile with payloads of 500kg and 300km range).Rosoboronexport,Russia's military middle-man,has said that among countries that shown interest in acquiring the system is MALAYSIA,India,UAE and Syria,and also trying to promote Iskander-E to other countries as well.


Iskander-E in Malaysian service:possibilities?
Malaysia right now is in aggressive pace to modernize its already decent military capabilities.The acquisition of PT-91M MBT(Poland),ASTROSS II MLRS(Brazil),Scorpene SSK(France) and Su-30MKM(Russia) already spark shock and awe to neighboring countries,which also began spending as well(except the Philippines.They still lag behind and their armed force is largely counter-insurgency oriented).But the real question is,Will Malaysia ever bought one?

Perhaps the safest answer is NO,not for the time being at least.There is another more urgent equipment to be replaced,particularly S-61A4 transport helicopter,the late Inderapura(ex USS-Newport) class LST,new armoured APC,to name few.Even after all these have been replaced,Malaysia also need a new type of weapon to fill the gap,especially self-propelled artillery and attack helicopters(which will be reviewed later).And current economy situation calls for budget cuts and at this point what is important is to maintain current capability until funds is available(and then there is stupid opposition parties with their stupid rhetoric.phuk em.hard DX)

Other than that, the nature of the missile(as a theatre-level tactical ballistic missile) might cause tension between neighboring countries.While it is a great deterrent weapon,it also might cause other countries to develop/acquire similar capabilities as well and arm race standoff is the last thing ASEAN countries need(not just it will scare investor and thus dampen economy,it will also make the friendly,mutual relationship that have been made decades,or even centuries ago,to become tense,or even being cut off entirely).

What important first is to completely modernize our armed force to be a network-based integrated tri-service of the 21st century,like Republic Of Korea Armed Force and  Japan Self Defence Force.After that,sky is the limit for us.

JAS-39 Gripen:Malaysian Prospect

Recently many people(from average layman to military pundits,local military magazines,even people from Mindef) has been talking about major military acquisition from Sweden,which include state of the art Erieye AEW system and Swedish pride in the sky,JAS-39 Gripen. While Erieye is almost(God Willing) to be bought by Malaysia(issues right now is the aircraft.C-235 would the best option,since RMAF already operated it and thus will ease logistics)
Gripen,however,would be quite a different story.

JAS-39 GRIPEN:overview

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JAS_39
 
Gripen started as a replacement of entire bulk of Swedish aircraft(Draken and Viggen) which would be obsolete in the 21st century,After evaluated few aircraft available in the market,Swedish Air Force decided to develop a new Fighter aircraft which would completely fulfill its requirement,which is low maintainance cost(even lower than the then new US lightweight fighter programme,the F-16 Falcon),and the ability to operate in dispersed area(unique to Swedish defence doctrine.It proposed that the aircraft would be able to land at anywhere with tarmac on top of it,refuel and rearm, and fly again,with just 5 crews and supply)

Upon entering service,already few countries impressed with its capabilities and started buying some(Up to a point where Swedish Air Force is "forced" to give them JAS-39 that is supposed to be in Swedish Air Force fleet for export).Current Operator include:Sweden,Czech,Hungary,South Africa,UK(as test aircraft) and recently,Royal Thai Air Force(to replace aging F-5s and to counter its neighbors' state of the art aircraft in induction,which is Flanker in Malaysian/Indonesian/Vietnam service and Singapore with their F-15SG).Export prospect is looking good for Gripen,with many countries already began to find replacement for their aging F-5,MiG-21,old french Mirage and even early batch of F-16.However it faced serious challenge(and even back stab and dirty play,especially from the American) from other aircraft models,such as American F-16 C/D block 50/52/52+,F/A-18E/F, Mulltinational Eurofighter Typhoon,French Dassault Rafale and Russian MiG-35 and latest Flanker series(Su-30MKM/I variant,Su-30MK2 variant and Su-35.Long live cheap,great russian aircraft  : D).

Malaysian Prospect
With early retirement of MiG-29N/NUB(which is quite a shame,since that aircraft could be upgraded to MiG-29SMT and continue to be in service beyond 2020) and the proposal of another batch of 18 new MRCA,Malaysia is also considered as a place to make money for aircraft companies.Russia already propose to trade in all MiG-29s for another 6 Su-30MKM(a good thing rather than letting it to collect dust somewhere in the storage facility),but question now is about the other 18 aircraft contract.Russia,again,offered Su-30MKM,as well as Su-35 and MiG-35 to malaysia,while Boeing(USA) offered us F/A-18F.Malaysia is also consider Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale(which is quite a surprise,although a welcomed one).SAAB,realizing the potential,has put Malaysia among its prospect as customer country.

But,while the author(that is "me") doesn't entirely ruled out Gripen as the option for the MRCA contract,it is also unlikely for Malaysia to buy Gripen as well,for few reasons:

1-It is a single engined aircraft.Recent Malaysian military trend tend to opt for 2-engined aircraft because it provided more thrust at lower attitude,since Malaysia is separated by South China Sea
2-Shorter range compared to 2-engined aircraft without in-flight refueling,2-engined aircraft usually has longer range and thus have wider maritime-patrolling range.
3-It carries less payload compared to 2-engined aircraft and 2 aircraft might need to be sent to bombards key target installations  instead of one large 2-engined aircraft.
4-Thailand also operates Gripen(6 aircraft with another six as an option).One of the reason why Singapore ruled out Su-30 and F/A-18F is because Malaysia operates Su-30MKM and are really interested with F/A-18F.

However,Gripen also have some qualities that need to be considered by RMAF as well:

1-Low maintainance cost and less ground operating crew(only five people,usually conscript in Swedish Air Force)
2-The ability to carry sophisticated armaments,including IRIS-T and ASRAAM short range AAM,new AMRAAM version and Meteor BVR AAM,and ALARM anti-radiation missile(plus other NATO-complement missiles and bombs)
3-Low RCS.While it isn't a true stealth aircraft,its nature as a small fighter plus its design means that it has less radar cross section than other non-stealth aircraft
4-AESA radar for later Gripen generation.
5-non traditional manufacturer might offers significant ToT and other assistance that is not available in traditional aircraft manufacturer(especially the American and their "policy" of using their weapon/system)

The author believe that our Malaysian top brass already made a significant research on aircraft we might acquire in the future,based on requirement,budget and other factor(ToT,restriction policy,threat,etc),thus any aircraft that would be procured is deemed as the best aircraft we can buy.

M-4 procurement:overview

It seems that MAF acquisition of M4 is deemed as a bad choice by general malaysian people(of course;if the decision is made by BN government,it IS a bad decision.What the heck with the mentality anyway).Recently,a report which said that M4 failure cost serviceman life in A-stan.It wouldn't be a surprise people will bring this issue and questioned MAF M4 procurement without even doing some kind of research to support their claim.

from the article
http://www.nola.com/military/index.ssf/2009/10/m4_suspected_in_deaths_of_us_s.html

"My weapon was overheating," McKaig said, according to Cubbison's report. "I had shot about 12 magazines by this point already and it had only been about a half hour or so into the fight. I couldn't charge my weapon and put another round in because it was too hot, so I got mad and threw my weapon down."
The soldiers also had trouble with their M249 machine guns, a larger weapon than the M4 that can shoot up to 750 rounds per minute.
Cpl. Jason Bogar fired approximately 600 rounds from his M-249 before the weapon overheated and jammed the weapon.
Bogar was killed during the firefight, but no one saw how he died, according to the report.

    It should be noted that the main factor that contributed to the malfunction is human factor.Apparently the person who handles the weapon become too excited and pulled the trigger too long.which resulted in overheating and,obviously,weapon jam.
Long story short,the main keyword here is sustained rate of fire.

Other than that,one need to consider about operating theatre too.Currently the American are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan,which is known to be hot and dusty.Among other critics are tendency to pick up dust and become too hot.Malaysia aren't as hot,dusty and dry like those countries(Thank God for that),thus M4 should serve us well with less hassle,just like it's predecessor,M16A1.Plus Malaysian terrain offers little opportunity for long range engagement as well(we fight either in the jungle,plantation,or urban area.In Afghanistan,US/NATO frequently engaged Talibans in large,arid, open area,thus they always retaliate beyond their rifle effective range.

Advantages of M4 

M4 is an extremely modular and flexible rifle around(A plus side of US MIL-STD system).Everything can be configured and re-configured according to the requirement(from installing optical sight and foregrip to changing the entire upper receiver to have a completely different rifle) without significantly doing some gunsmithing.It will also ease the logistic,up to some degree(because instead of giving a different weapon for different purpose,M4 can be configured to fill the need,thus become a jack of all trade of such).Overall M4 is a battle proven weapon and instead of opting a unproven weapon,why just not stick with whatever that works and slowly doing R&D for our own rifle system that perfectly(or almost perfectly) fit our requirement.

Mi-171:perhaps the best nuri replacement

As we know,Nuri(or S-61A4.I prefer actual designation because more people will understand) have been around in RMAF since....forever and new replacement has been surfaced since 5,6 years ago at least.Problem is, with all state-of-the-art equipments bought(Su-30MKM,Scorpene SSK,PT-91M,etc),MAF already used their budget and have to wait until additional fund(which means RMK-10,or beyond) is available.A replacement is urgently needed as the old chopper is started to wear apart(aging airframe,over-utilized,even other countries already in the process of phasing them out)

But,while these "other countries" are considering for EH-101 and NH-90 as their main workhorse,Malaysia simply couldn't walk that path(actually we can,but we'll be gasping for money).A requirement of up to 48 helos will be bought and procuring such helos will cut more than limbs.There is other cheaper option that can do similar work almost as good and that is Mi-171.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mil_Mi-17

Mi-171,which is derived from Mi-8,has become a workhorse to many countries worldwide.Cheap,simple,reliable airframe and capable of carrying comparable loads as S-61,Mi-171 is perfectly suited to RMAF need for general transport helicopter.Mi-171 can also be equipped with advanced avionics(FLIR,NVG-capability,GPS,system,radar,glass cockpit) at price way under EH-101.What we need as nuri replacement is a helicopter with new airframe,capable of carrying loads as S-61,with decent pricetag(Mi-171 about USD10 million a piece,EH-101 is about 4 times that price) and can be used(or abused,I might say : D) for up to 25-30 years.It is used as general transport helicopter anyway(for tasks such as sending supply/equipment,carrying troops,emergency relief and medium threat handling) and are more than capable for such works.For CSAR or hot-and-high operation or other dangerous operation,that job can be given to EH-725,which will be acquired in the future.


....And just to give a general idea of how would Mi-171 compared to S-61

New MPSS for RMN?

Well I choose this topic as my first topic to be reviewed because RMN old LST already being written off due to fire onboard(RIP KD Inderapura).Nobody is going to weep to it(no casualties, government already decided to buy new one anyway,and it only gonna accelerate such acquisition,etc),not to mention that KD Inderapura is an old ship and deserve to be retired.And people are hyped about such procurement : D

Anyway,back to the topic,about future MPSS acquisition,among contender to the list include(pic shamelessly taken from internet thus I don't claim them myself):-

1-Dokdo Class LHD(South Korea)



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dokdo_class_amphibious_assault_ship

2-Mistral class LHD(France)




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistral_class_amphibious_assault_ship

3-Type071 LPD(China,as in PR China)




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_071

although budget constraint may force RMN to consider a cheaper alternative,such as Makassar-class LPD(Indonesia)



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makassar_class_landing_platform_dock


It is tempting to opt for the cheapest option,but consider this;the ship is expected to be in service in at least 30 years without any hassle.Makassar class LPD,reportedly,is derived from civilian (a ferry) design.Type 071 is supposed to be cheaper than the other two option,but when buying Chinese equipment,we can learn from Thailand in this regard(their frigate that have been bought apparently has pretty much malfunction and needed extensive re-work).thus more money is wasted.

I personally prefer Dokdo than other option.It is cheaper than Mistral,yet can carry more helos/troops/equipment than type 071 and Makassar class.Acquiring Dokdo class LHD can also significantly expand RMN capabilites as well.However with current defence budget cut it might as well as good if we bought Makassar class as well(Makassar-class LPD pricetag is about RM70 million a piece.Dokdo Class LHD,on the other hand,cost about 1 billion Ringgit.Although smaller in size,we can acquire 5 or 6 of Makassar class LPD instead of one Dokdo LHD,which equally bolster RMN amphibious capabilities as well)

And,regardless of the type of vessel we'll buy,acquisition of such ship might paved way to the establishment of Malaysian marine corps.

welcome to BorneoDefenceGazette

After months of consideration,I decided to create a dedicated military blog based on my own knowledge and view towards Malaysian,regional and international military trends.It's just a casual blogs (for a more serious reading one can always go to Jane's).

Anyway my knowledge in this field is rather shallow so I wouldn't mind having a constructive comments about anything I write.I am just a casual military observer with having big prospect towards MAF expansion and maturity.