Su-30MKM GoPro cockpit video for SGAirshow

Two MD530G Helicopters to be Placed at Lahad Datu Base by April

The Defence Ministry has announced that two McDonnell Douglas (MD) helicopters will be based at the Lahad Datu Forward Operating Base by April.

Its minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the air defence asset was a light combat type helicopter used in security surveillance.

He added that the total assets to be kept at the base would be announced later but for a start, there would be the two helicopters.

"If we look at the MD helicopter, it is not the same as combat helicopters such as the Apache and Tiger but for now this asset is adequate for the threat we are facing in Sabah," he told reporters during his visit at the army Lok kawi camp here.

Also present were deputy chief minister Datuk Yahya Hussin, Army chief Tan Sri Zulkiple Kassim and Defence ministry Director-General Datuk Seri Abdul Rahim Mohd Radzi.

Hishammuddin added that the ministry was looking at another four or five aircraft for patrolling purposes along the east coast of Sabah.

"The decision on the asset was made based on technical and financial aspects and the packages offered."

Meanwhile, Hishammudin said the Trilateral Maritime Patrol (TMP) between Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines will continue to be strengthened.

He added that a visit involving armed forces from three countries will be held at Tarakan in Indonesia next month as the follow up from last visit in Tawi-Tawi Philippines.

"The navy from both countries has implemented seven Rendezvous (RV) at Sulu sea since TMP was launched last June. "

On other development, Hishammuddin asked the relevant industries to channel some of their profits for Corporate Social responsibility for the army and retired personnel.

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Gets Boost with Construction of Three Offshore Patrol Vessels

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) will soon be able to protect the country’s coasts with a wider range, following the start of construction of three Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs).

The keel of vessels, the Damen 1800-class designed in the Netherlands, were laid at the TH Heavy Engineering (THEE) Berhad shipyard at the Pulau Indah Industrial Park and will be completed at the cost of RM740 million.

MMEA director-general Admiral (M) Datuk Zulkifli Abu Bakar told Malay Mail the vessels are a “game changer” and would help the agency cope with the myriad of threats in the country’s waters.

“We have 256 assets at our disposal including ships and aircraft but these are insufficient for monitoring and enforcement of the country’s 614,158 sq km territorial waters.

“This is why there has to be a constant flow of new and capable assets to maintain the ability for force projection beyond the shallows of our coasts,” he said.

Zulkifli added that most patrol vessels operated by the agency are over 30-years-old and do not have the “endurance” or operational range for sustained operations.

“The most critical element is that our assets lack the ability to persist at sea due to their short or limited operational range. This will change with the delivery of the new OPVs,” he said.

“The wide variety of challenges we have to cope with from illegal fishing to human trafficking and illegal sand mining and general encroachment of our waters requires flexible multi-mission craft with long operational ranges.”

THHE had prior to this built six of the Royal Malaysian Navy’s New Generation Patrol Craft.

Measuring 83 metres long and nearly 14 metres wide the OPVs are able to conduct three-week patrols at a time and pack an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle in addition to their on-board 30 mm SMASH Remote Controlled Stabilised Naval Gun manufactured in Turkey.

With a top speed of 21 knots, the vessels will be able to conduct operations up to the limits of the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone, making them effective against illegal fishing vessels that typically skirt the maritime border.

They carry a crew of 70 with room for 20 passengers or suspects and are equipped with Fast Interceptor Craft for boarding inspections and search and medical facilities for rescue operations.

The vessels are expected to be ready by February 2020.

Malaysia looking at Light Combat Aircraft procurement

At the International Fighter Conference in Berlin, a Royal Malaysian Air Force officer disclosed that Malaysia is looking at procuring a Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) that can go supersonic while powered by a single engine.

LCS Gowind Frigate for Royal Malaysian Navy - August 24th Launch

View from eagle eye, pelancaran Kapal Kombat Litoral 1 (LCS) di Lumut.#LCS#TLDM pic.twitter.com/PtqJPJVQuJ

— Farhan Razak (@farhannnrazak) August 24, 2017

LCS Gowind Frigate for Royal Malaysian Navy set for August 24th Launch

China Offers Rocket Laucher and Radar System Based in Johor

CHINA will offer Malaysia advanced rocket launchers and a radar system, to be based in Johor, reflecting the widening defence and trade ties between the two countries in the South China Sea region, sources told The Malaysian Insight.

The generous low-interest offer will be made by a high-level delegation headed by Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy visiting Malaysia for the East Coast Rail Link launch tomorrow.

"Up to 12 units of the AR3 multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) will be offered to Malaysia in a purchase programme with a loan period of 50 years," a source told The Malaysian Insight.

"The MLRS, which has a top range of 220km, will be located in Johor with a radar system," added the source, confirming The Malaysian Insight's report last April.

Malaysia has previously inked a deal to buy four littoral mission ships from China, its most significant purchase from the Middle Kingdom that was seen as a blow to its traditional defence suppliers in the West.
       
"The view from Beijing is that Malaysia is critical to peace and stability in the region," a regional diplomat told The Malaysian Insight.

The AR3 multiple launch rocket system is an artillery rocket system, developed by China's Norinco specially for export and was first unveiled in 2011.

The military-today.com website described the AR3 as currently the most powerful MLRS in the world that launches conventional and guided missiles.

The military portal said the AR3 is a multi-calibre rocket system with two pods and four launcher tubes for 370-mm rockets each, or five launcher tubes for 300-mm rockets.

The AR3 is based on the Wanshan WS2400 8x8 special wheeled chassis. The same wheeled chassis is used for most recent Chinese large-calibre multiple launch rocket systems.

Sources had said that an air defence and radar system in the southern part of the Malay peninsula could prove to be a sore point with Singapore, which China considers to be a proxy of the United States in the region.

Malaysia and Singapore are in the Five Power Defence Arrangement (FPDA) but the neighbours have been slowly building up their defence assets and have had some issues over airspace control.

Others in the FPDA set up to defend Malaysia and Singapore during the Cold War are the UK, Australia and New Zealand. – August 9, 2017.

Russia, Malaysia Sign Agreement on Modernization of Malaysian MiG-29

Russia and Malaysia have signed an agreement on the renovation and modernization of the Russia-produced MiG-29 fighter aircraft that form parts of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the MAKS International Aviation and Space Salon on Wednesday. (photo : Peter Gronemann)

ZHUKOVSKIY (Moscow Region) (Sputnik) — The document was signed by Russian Aircraft Corporation (RAC) MiG Director General Ilya Tarasenko and Malaysian Air Force representative Mohamed Fadzar bin Sufad on the margins of the MAKS.

"The agreement confirms the extension of our contractual obligations for the Malaysian Air Forces on the operation of MiG-29 fighter jets. The RAC MiG will continue its cooperation with the Malaysian Air Forces and will provide technical support for these aircraft," Tarasenko said.

The MiG-29 supply contract was signed in Kuala Lumpur on June 7, 1994. The total contract value of 18 Russia-supplied aircraft was estimated at $560 billion. The MiG Corporation assumed the obligation to make the necessary adjustments and adapt the aircraft to Malaysian humid tropical climate. Malaysian MiG aircraft have come to be known as MiG-29N and MJG-29NUB, and formed Squadron 17 and Squadron 19 of the Royal Malaysian Air Force.

Malaysia Shelves Plan to Buy New Fighter Jets - Defense Source

Malaysia has put on hold a $2 billion plan to replace its aging fleet of combat aircraft, looking instead to upgrade its aerial surveillance capabilities to confront the growing threat of militancy inspired by the Islamic State group, a source with knowledge of the matter said.

Southeast Asia's third-largest economy has for several years been weighing the competing merits of France's Rafale jet and the Eurofighter Typhoon, built by Britain's BAE Systems, as it looks to buy up to 18 jets to replace its Russian MiG-29 fighters - nearly half of which are grounded.

The Rafale fighter - built by Dassault Aviation SA - was until recently seen as the frontrunner, with the support of key officials in Malaysia's defense ministry.

But Malaysia has shelved those plans for now as it looks to boost aerial surveillance that will be critical in its fight against militancy, a defense ministry source told Reuters.

The decision comes as Islamist fighters continue to battle security forces in Marawi in the southern Philippines. Malaysia and Indonesia, which share the nearby island of Borneo, are working with the Philippines to conduct air and maritime patrols along their shared borders in the Sulu Sea.

"With regards to Rafale, France is still pushing for it as evidenced during the recent air show in Paris," said the source, on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to media on the discussions.

"However, due to the current situation, Malaysia is focusing more on maritime patrol aircraft rather than multi-role combat aircraft."

More than 400 people have been killed in fighting in Marawi, on the Philippine island of Mindanao, which was seized by pro-Islamic State militants on May 23.

The crisis in Marawi has unnerved governments across Southeast Asia, worried the region could potentially become the next base for the Islamic State, especially with fighters returning home from Iraq after the fall of the group's Mosul stronghold.

Besides conducting joint patrols, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia have also agreed to pool intelligence and tackle militant financing.

Temporarily Suspended

Discussions for fighter jet procurements typically take years and an impending general election, which must be called by June 2018 but is expected this year, was already expected to delay Malaysia's final decision.

The source said Malaysia's jet fighter talks were only "temporarily suspended" and could resume in the future, but the priority was to secure new surveillance planes by 2020.

Malaysia's decision to suspend its jet fighter acquisition program will come as a blow to Dassault's Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon, the two main competitors for the deal to replace the Royal Malaysian Air Force's (RMAF) squadron of Russian MiG-29s.

Spokesmen for Dassault and Eurofighter, a consortium including Airbus BAE Systems and Leonardo of Italy, declined to comment. BAE Systems did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Prime Minister Najib Razak said in March that the Rafale deal was discussed during then French President Francois Hollande's visit to the Southeast Asian nation, but that Malaysia was "not ready yet to make a decision".

Dassault was awarded a contract in September last year to deliver 36 Rafale jets to India, and hopes to make additional sales to New Delhi.

Dassault Chief Executive Eric Trappier said in May that the company was "notably in talks" with Malaysia and India to secure one new contract by 2018.

BAE Systems, which leads the regional sales campaign for the Typhoon, is looking to kick off its entry into Southeast Asia with the sale of its multi-role combat aircraft to Malaysia.

Malaysia has four Beechcraft BT200T surveillance aircraft, but one of the planes crashed in December killing the pilot.

The defense ministry source said Kuala Lumpur was looking at acquiring four more surveillance planes that were larger and had a longer range than its existing assets, such as aircraft built by Lockheed Martin.

"We're looking at a commercial-based platform, which is more affordable, compared to a military specific platform," the source said.

Malaysia focusing more on getting maritime patrol aircraft than new fighters

An anonymous source within Malaysia’s Ministry of Defense told Reuters that the country has decided to put plans to buy new fighters on hold and focus on boosting its aerial surveillance capabilities instead.

C295 meets A400M at Subang Airport in Malaysia

#C295 meets #A400M at Subang Airport in #Malaysia! #C295Worldtour Next stop… #Philippines! pic.twitter.com/69LyBdG16R

— Airbus Defence (@AirbusDefence) July 11, 2017

Malaysia Conducts Trials of 30 mm Naval Gun from First-of-Class NGPC

The Malaysian Coast Guard has conducted the first test firings of a newly installed SMASH 30 mm remote controlled stabilised naval gun system from its first-of-class New Generation Patrol Craft (NGPC), KM Bagan Datuk (4541).

The tests, which were conducted about 15 n miles west of Pulau Mentagor, off the coast of Perak, were conducted to validate the weapon's successful integration with systems on board the vessel.

These involved a single seaborne target that was set adrift from and subsequently fired upon by Bagan Datuk in single and burst modes of three rounds each. Present during the tests were engineers from Turkish defence company Aselsan, which is supplying the naval gun system to the coastguard. According to specifications provided by the company, the SMASH system is fitted with a 30 mm Mk 44 Bushmaster-II cannon that fires 200 rds/min.

Bagan Datuk is the first of six 44 m coastal patrol vessels ordered from Malaysian shipbuilder Destini Shipbuilding & Engineering under a MYR380 million (USD87 million) signed in 2015. The platform is derived from a design by Germany-based Fassmer Shipbuilding Company and will be the first vessels operated by the Malaysian Coast Guard to feature an organic unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capability.

The 297-tonne platform features an overall length of 44.25 m, an overall beam of 7.7 m, and a design draught of 1.95 m. The vessel is powered by two 1,920 kW MTU engines, and has a top speed of 24 kt, and a standard range of 2,000 n miles at 12 kt.

Each NGPC can deploy the Thales Fulmar unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from a catapult-based launcher situated just behind the position of its primary weapon.

Chief of Royal Malaysian Navy on LIMA'17, 15 to 5, LMS, MRSS & LCS

LIMA 2017: the definitive documentary

LIMA 17 - Langkawi, US Air Force Team

Welcome to Langkawi, US Air Force Team 💐💐💐 #LIMA17 #LebihHebat #AerospaceSegment pic.twitter.com/JwrrrT0rHR

— LIMA'17 (@LimaExhibition) March 18, 2017

Denel’s Malaysian Contract Delayed

Denel received the R3.7 billion contract in 2011 to develop, manufacture, supply, deliver and commission the turrets. The contract requires industrial participation in Malaysia and as a result the production and assembly are taking place in that country.

In its latest annual report, Denel noted that, “The contract execution has been extended by two years to nine years due to the economic situation in the end-user country. The required industrial participation activities have been implemented and the first systems have been successfully manufactured, assembled and tested in the end-user country. The base value of the programme is R3.7bn and revenue of R1.193bn (2014/15: R590m) was recognised during the 2015/16 financial year.”

The Malaysian contract, the largest export contract in Denel’s history, is seeing Denel Land Systems responsible for 69 two man turrets fitted with the South African GI30 30mm main gun; 54 missile turrets equipped with the GI30 30mm gun and Denel Dynamics Ingwe anti-tank missile system (the order also includes the supply of 216 laser-guided Ingwe missiles); and 54 remote control weapons systems.

The annual report said key highlights and achievements over the last financial year included the completion of the light combat turret (LCT) 30 product baseline and the assembly of 20 LCT30 systems for Malaysia.

Through the contract Denel is participating in the Malaysian Economic Enhancement programme which entails the production and assembly of the turrets in Malaysia. The agreement provides a platform to transfer weapon system integration technology to DefTech in order to create a sustainable capability in Malaysia.

Manufacturing of the turrets grew out of Denel Land System’s development of the Badger infantry combat vehicle on behalf of the South African Army.

Malaysia Bolsters Submarine Rescue Capabilities with USN Certification

The privately owned Malaysian submarine rescue ship, MV Mega Bakti, has received certification from the US Navy (USN) as an approved commercial vessel of opportunity (VOO), and can now be deployed to rescue distressed submariners, a senior Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) confirmed on 17 January.

The certification, which was received in mid-2016 following a number of pre-screening processes by the USN, will further boost the submarine rescue capabilities in the region, said Rear Admiral Abdul Rahman Ayub, Submarine Force Commander of the RMN, on 17 January. He was speaking at the UDT Asia 2017 conference in Singapore.

Mega Bakti, which is owned by Malaysian company Target Resources, is currently contracted to provide submarine rescue services for the RMN.

Malaysia’s MMRCA program delayed due to 1MBD scandal

Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid is said to have met the heads of European defense companies during his visit to London last month and he is said to have told them that the purchase of 18 fighters for RMAF under the MMRCA project has been shelved due to the 1MBD scandal.

Three Sharp Eye Radar Installed in Malaysia

Doppler processing of the radar returns provides coherent information concerning target velocity and enables the detection of very small and slow moving objects with a low Radar Cross Section (RCS). Through a series of electronic filters, the system is able to distinguish between targets of interest and sea, rain and land clutter.

In addition, with no magnetron required for the system, maintenance costs are significantly reduced.

Hamzah Akhbar, Regional Sales Manager for Kelvin Hughes, commented:
 “The success of our VTS radar in these three important Malaysian ports has clearly demonstrated the superior detection and tracking performance of SharpEye™ technology, particularly in adverse weather conditions where safety can’t be compromised. In response to the demand, we’re looking forward to the opportunity to enhance maritime safety and port security at other sites throughout the region.”

Defensive Aids Subsystems (DASS) for Malaysian A400M

As reported in MALAYSIANDEFENCE the fourth A400M for Malaysia will be arriving in January next year complete with the DASS high tech self-protection kit, air-to-air refueling (receiving and providing fuel) and the ability to deliver up to 25 tonnes of cargo.

The A400M has been specifically designed for low detectability and low vulnerability.

First of all its low level flight capabilities allow the aircraft to perform tactical missions at very low level. Together with its
- high maneuverability, enhanced low level flight capability
- steep descent and climb performance
- short landing and take-off performance
the aircraft is able to perform comparably agile over hostile terrain, being same time passively secured by
- damage tolerant flight controls
- armored cockpit and bullet-resistant windscreens
- the use of inerting gas in the fuel tanks and the on-board inert gas generating system
- segregated routing of hydraulics and wiring
- the cockpit and LMWS-armoring in combination with 12.7mm bullet-resistant glass
- no use of forward emitting sensors.

The EPI TP 400 turboprops deliver minimal infra-red signature. With highly responsive fly-by-wire flight controls, four independent control computers and damage tolerant controls the A400M is to be considered at a high level in self protection.

A400M advanced self-protection kit of defensive aids are enable it to carry out missions in demanding hostile environments.

The Defensive Aids Subsystems (DASS) is the planned tool to protect the crew - consisting of different subsystems to act on a variety of threats:

1. The missile warning system (MWS)
2. The radar warning receiver (RWR)
3. Laser warning receiver (LWR)
4. Direct energy infra red counter measures
5. Towed Radar Decoy

The DASS mirrors for a high standard of self-protection and survivability. Protection measures can furthermore be enhanced by a programmable defensive aids computer, reacting on a fully automated mode. All the desribed tools shall be ready for use on a midterm scale.