Su-30MKM GoPro cockpit video for SGAirshow

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.

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 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

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.

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.

Malaysia to conduct VSHORAD live-firing exercise

Malaysian Army reveals its Starstreak MANPADS

The Malaysian Army recently release a set of photos showing its personnel undergoing training to operate the Thales Air Defense Starstreak Man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS).

Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN ) will revamp its armada

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v8/ge/newsgeneral.php?id=1224322

The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN ) will revamp its armada to only five classes of ships so that it is more cost-effective to maintain and manage.

RMN chief Admiral Datuk Seri Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin said the five classes of ships were the Littoral Combat Ships (LCS); New Generation Patrol Vessels (NGPV); Littoral Mission Ships (LMS); Multi-Support Ships (MRSS) and Submarines.

He said at present, RMN had 15 classes of ships which were built in seven different countries - United Kingdom; Germany; Italy; France; Sweden; South Korea and Malaysia.

"The ships we have are old, so they are hard to maintain and require a big allocation.

"So we see the opportunity for us to reduce the number of classes of ships to five but we will increase the number of ships in these classes," he told reporters after a pinning-of-the-rank ceremony for RMN officers and the Royal Malaysian Navy Reserves (PSSRMN) here today.

Ahmad Kamarulzaman said on average, the age of RMN 's existing assets was about 32 years.

He added the 15-to-5 RMN Armada Transformation Programme would also focus on building ships locally to reduce the nation's dependency on foreign expertise.

He said the initiative to transform asset management would contribute to RMN 's corporate social responsibility to the community.

Malaysia - DefTech employee killed during an accident with a AV8 Gempita

http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/content.asp?y=2016&dt=0310&pub=Kosmo&sec=Terkini&pg=bt_22.htm

Malaysia and Indonesia also infected

But Global warming is more important danger facing mankind according to O-BAAA-MAAA.

#MALAYSIA IGP Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar Says Police Arrested 4 #ISIS Suspects, Including A Married Couple. pic.twitter.com/5zsAfEQ5PI

— Terrormonitor.org (@Terror_Monitor) January 16, 2016

#INDONESIA Police Says 3 #JakartaBlasts Suspects with Links To #IslamicState Arrested. pic.twitter.com/raIco11GEc

— Terrormonitor.org (@Terror_Monitor) January 16, 2016

Malaysia Denies Interest in JF-17 from Pakistan

Malaysia’s Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein has denied media reports that the country is considering the Sino-Pakistani JF-17 Thunder as part of its Air Force modernization plans. Analysts nevertheless think the JF-17 is on the cusp of export success.

Hussein was responding to a question put to him by Malaysian news media after an interview Malaysia’s High Commissioner to Pakistan Dr Hasrul Sani gave the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP). He was reported to have discussed the JF-17 in the context of boosting the wider bilateral relationship.

However, even before the official denial of interest, analysts were unsure Malaysia would buy the JF-17 despite believing the aircraft is well-suited to its requirements.

Though it would complement the heavier Su-30MKM Flanker fighters in service, Malaysian sources privately indicated that Western fighters already under consideration stand a more realistic chance of being selected.

Malaysia has long indicated a desire to replace its remaining US-supplied F-5E/F fighter aircraft, and the MiG-29s it acquired from Russia in the ’90s. This may result in an order for 36 to 40 aircraft, according to information available on the program.

Prior to Tuesday’s denial, author, analyst and former Australian defense attache to Islamabad Brian Cloughley believed the Malaysian interest to be genuine, but cautioned there was more to consider.

“Heads of diplomatic missions don’t usually say things publicly that aren’t accurate”, he said. “So there is probably something in this, in that interest appears to have been expressed, but the devil is as always in the detail, and there will have to be agreement by Beijing to any movement toward a deal.”

He has therefore been surprised by the turn around.

Philippines killed 13 Abu Sayaf militants after they beheaded Malaysian captive

Secular Malaysia and Philippines also infected with Virus 

#Philippines killed 13 Abu Sayaf militants after they beheaded #Malaysia-n captive https://t.co/aCHBD9u5WA @EjmAlrai pic.twitter.com/YmrYy48uDZ

— маяковский (@moscow_ghost) December 16, 2015

#PHILIPPINES #Malaysian Bomb Maker Abu Anas Believed To Be Killed Among 13 #AbuSayyaf Militant In #Basilan Island.FP pic.twitter.com/q9rbpcGS9I

— Terrormonitor.org (@Terror_Monitor) December 16, 2015

Malaysia, U.S. in secret talks to let P-3s, P-8As fly out of Labuan

The U.S. and Malaysia have been secretly discussing expanded use of Malaysian territory for hosting U.S. spy planes to patrol the South China Sea, in response to increased Chinese activity in the disputed territory.

Following a series of incursions into Malaysian waters by Chinese vessels in recent months, talks between the U.S. government and the office of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak have intensified, two senior U.S. defense officials said. The U.S. side has been pressing Najib's government to allow the U.S. Navy to fly both P-8 Poseidon and P-3 Orion maritime surveillance planes from Malaysian airstrips over South China Sea areas where the Chinese government has been rapidly building artificial islands.

There has been no final agreement between the two governments, but the talks themselves represent a shift of Malaysia’s long effort to straddle the fence between the U.S. and China.

On the U.S. side, negotiations are being led by officials from U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii and David Shear, the assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific security, one senior U.S. defense official said. While the Pentagon has pushed Malaysia for cooperation before, the talks were newly invigorated following incidents earlier this year when Chinese ships proudly entered the southernmost areas of the South China Sea, inside Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone.

A Pentagon spokesman declined to discuss the bilateral discussions, and the Malaysian Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.

Last autumn, Admiral Jonathan Greenert, the chief of naval operations, said that "recently the Malaysians have offered us to fly detachments of P-8s out of ... East Malaysia." The New York Times stated the plan risked “enraging” China.

The Pentagon and the Malaysian government later clarified that no final agreement had been reached.

Diplomatic sources said the focus of the discussions is now the island of Labuan, off the coast of the semi-autonomous state of Sabah on Borneo. The island is a federally administered territory under the complete control of the Malaysian government that has also been used as a financial hub thanks to its unique tax regulations. It is closer to Chinese military construction in the South China Sea than the locations currently used to launch U.S. spy missions, such as Clark Air Base in the Philippines.

The Malaysian government is very wary about disclosing any of its defense cooperation with the U.S. “U.S.-Malaysian security cooperation has been very deep and very quiet for a long time. The Malaysians are very much concerned about the Chinese actions,” said Ernest Bower, the chairman of the Southeast Asian Studies department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The U.S. is also working with Malaysia to help it increase its technical capabilities for monitoring and protecting its territory in and around the South China Sea. There’s little chance the U.S. would actually build a military facility in Malaysia, but the use of Malaysian territory is key.

“There’s much more Malaysian interest in allowing U.S. access than there was before. It’s places not bases,” said Bower.

At the same time, however, Malaysia has been increasing its cooperation with China, its top trade partner. The Chinese military announced last week that the two countries will soon hold their largest-ever joint military exercises.

For Najib's government it's a careful balancing act. Patrick Cronin, the director of the Asia-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, said that Malaysia rarely calls out China publicly for its aggressive moves in the South China Sea, but has been quietly increasing cooperation with other Southeast Asian nations that have territorial disputes with China.

“P-8 or P-3 maritime patrol fights with the United States and/or Japan would make eminent sense for Malaysia, which cannot enjoy China's changing facts on the ground in the South China Sea,” he said.

The U.S. is finishing plans for a new five-year, $425 million Southeast Asian Maritime Security Initiative, and some of that funding is likely to go to exercises and training and information sharing with Malaysia, he said.

Any cooperation between the nations, however, could be complicated by the fact that Najib is facing political and popular upheaval following a string of scandals, including the revelation by the Wall Street Journal in June that Malaysian investigators discovered $700 million from a government investment fund had ended up in his personal bank account.

Le Drian discussed Rafale deal with Malaysia, but no Mistral

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian talked about the Rafale fighter jet but did not pitch the Mistral helicopter carrier in meetings in Malaysia with his counterpart, Hishammuddin Hussein, a defense official here said Tuesday.Le Drian has not visited India on his way back to France, the official said. A visit to India had been planned, French website La Tribune had reported.

“The minister talked about the Rafale offer” in Malaysia, the official said. “The Mistral was not part of the discussion.”Le Drian flew into a Malaysian airbase  on Monday with a high-level parliamentary and industry team, dubbed the French export team, and went on to meet Prime Minister Najib Razak and Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.Le Drian and Hishammuddin took part in a meeting of the French-Malaysian Joint Defense Committee.Malaysia is looking at the Dassault Rafale and affordability is a key issue.

"It's too soon to announce anything about it,” Hishammuddin told a joint news conference with Le Drian in Kuala Lumpur, Reuters reported. "It's part and parcel of the industry and it's a proposal we look at, and I have been very transparent with the Malaysian public that it's a question of affordability.“We talked about the Rafale, but not the Mistral,” Hishammuddin said, Reuters reported.The Boeing F/A-18, Saab Gripen and Eurofighter Typhoon are also under review in the Malaysian tender for 18 fighters.A selection will likely be made in 2018 as there are financial difficulties, defense specialists said. Malaysia has been hit by lower oil prices and commodities, Reuters reported.

The Malaysian visit “went very well,” the French defense official said.France is looking to resell two Mistral warships, following a negotiated cancellation of their €1.2 billion sale to Russia.India has said it would buy 36 Rafales off the shelf, prompting Dassault hopes that  an order could be signed before the end of the year.

Malaysia Sign the Contract Procurement of 20 AV-4 First Win 4×4

Malaysia has signed a contract with Chaiseri and Deftech (Thailand)  for the initial order of 20 vehicles AV-4 First Win 4×4.

Speaking at the event the Naval Research Day 2015 will take place at Navy Hall, Managing Director Chaiseri Metal & Rubber Co. Ltd., Mr. Hiran Koolhiran has confirmed to ThaiArmedForces.com that Malaysia has signed a contract to procure 20 armored vehicles First Win 4×4.

Orders the first phase of the vehicle which in Malaysia is named AV-4 will be manufactured with the company Deftech of Malaysia. “Six of the first vehicle to be produced in the province Phatum Thani and will be delivered to the Military Forces of Malaysia in the first quarter of 2016”, he added. To prove that the car’s performance in real operating conditions of the delivery will be done by road from the factory in Pathum Thani to Malaysia.

Needs of armored vehicles for the Malaysian army of about 200 units, First Win 4×4 has passed the test of actual practice in Malaysia last year. In particular, the partnership with a Malaysian company Deftech will cause both sides to exchange expertise in the field of technology. First Win 4×4 has operated in Thailand by 25 units by the Justice Department and the Royal Thai Army. Currently the company is actively engaged in global marketing and has received a number of customer perspectives, especially from the countries of the Middle East.

The Royal Malaysian Air Force To Upgrade Radar Technology

The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) has to expedite upgrading the national defence radar system as some of the radars are more than 15 years old.RMAF chief General Tan Sri Rodzali Daud said the matter had been discussed with the government."If everything goes well, RMAF will enhance the existing radar system and hope the matter can be considered.

"RMAF is also studying the need to upgrade the airspace detecting system, which is also a priority, apart from the national defence radar system," he said at a media conference in conjunction with the Defence Ministry and RMAF Media Day at the Kuantan Airbase today.Rodzali said the country's defence, as well as its military capability, depended on its strength to defend its air space, apart from launching attacks within a short period.

Earlier, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the country's radar system and national defence should be re-evaluated being that the government had exposed its military capability and assets during the search and rescue mission for MH370.On the RMAF's 56th anniversary celebration on Sunday, Rodzali said the theme, 'Air Power, National Power', took into account the interest and capability of air defence in safeguarding the country's sovereignty.


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