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Malaysia raises requirement for new maritime patrol aircraft
The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) will evaluate several potential candidates for a requirement of four new maritime patrol aircraft (MPA). The Malaysian government approved the acquisition in its budget for 2018, the Malaysian National News Agency (BERNAMA) reports.
“Besides the aircraft’s capabilities, the team will evaluate other functions of the aircraft, including its supportive aspect and whether it (the aircraft) could collaborate with our local industry. We need to look holistically on its long-term benefits,” said RMAF Chief of Air Staff, Gen. Tan Sri Affendi Buang.
The new MPAs are being sought to provide the RMAF with anti-submarine warfare (ASW), maritime surveillance (ISR), search-and-rescue (SAR) and electronic intelligence (ELINT) capabilities.
If brought to fruition, the RMAF hopes it would be an initial order with follow-on batches.
The RMAF technical team will also include an officer from the Royal Malaysian Navy. BERNAMA listed the Airbus Defence & Space C295, Leonardo ATR-72MP, Boeing P-8 Poseidon and Indonesia’s own CN235 as the leading candidates for the RMAF MPA requirement.
The Boeing P-8 is a noticeably unique platform of the list considering it is much more capable – and costlier – than its lighter turboprop-based competitors. The Saab Swordfish MPA could be also be an option, giving the RMAF a jet-powered MPA option with ASW and anti-ship warfare (AShW) capabilities. However, Saab does not have a Bombardier Global 6000-based Swordfish MPA for the RMAF to test.
According to BERNAMA, Malaysia is also considering Japan’s Lockheed Martin P-3 Orion MPAs, which it is now replacing with the Kawasaki P-1. However, given that the Japanese P-3s are old airframes, the RMAF will look at them as potential interim or bridge aircraft, and will seek them at free of cost.
The RMAF currently flies Beechcraft B200 aircraft in the MPA role. The RMAF’s future MPAs would have improved ISR and ELINT equipment, but with added attack (via ASW and possibly AShW) capabilities.
18 Comments
by Headstrong
All the South East Asian nations are gearing up for a belligerent China
by TZK
‘an armed-to-the-teeth Indo-Pacific’ with US supplied weaponry?
by Violet
“Rising sea levels on their nations”.
Only when they will have a nation left after the Chinese invade! With the Chinese breathing down their necks, and some incident or the other happening almost every month in the South China Sea, it is justified that the number one concern of these smaller littoral countries is to protect their sovereignty and motherland against Chinese aggression.
Moreover take a look at the China’s so called “friendly” behaviour with its neighbors over the past century or so. China has fought a war with Russia to its north many decades back over a disputed region of Siberia. That area still continues to be disputed. It has territorial disputes with japan to the east in the Sea of Japan, threatening Japanese ships and vessels. It has border disputes with both Taiwan and Vietnam in the south. They have even fought a war with Vietnam over the border dispute. Moreover China refuses to recognise Taiwan as an independent sovereign country and alleges it as its own territory. Similarly there are countries like Bhutan to its south west who have lost a part of their territory in Tibetan plateau to the Chinese. Then there is the issue of Buddhist leader Dalai Lama, who is forced to live in exile due to Chinese threat. Lastly with India they claim the state of Arunachal Pradesh as their own.
The examples of Chinese agression and belligerence is too big to ignore. Especially for weaker and smaller countries like Bhutan and Vietnam. And that is why you see a sort of loose alliance forming in the indo- Pacific primarily meant to counter Chinese expansionist motives. Also that is the same reason countries like Vietnam have emerged as one of the leading spenders on defense in the last few years. From buying warships from Russia, to BrahMos missiles from India, a small country like Vietnam has been spending a lot on its defense. All Thanks to China!!
by Steve
That’s a good anti-China lecture for an anti-China faction in American politics for instance, and an excuse to beg for even more weapons. India has also had problems with all its neighbours and has been bullying all of them at one time or another. Hong Kong is part of China and China has a lot more legitimate claim on Taiwan, than India has on Kashmir for instance. China is an economic and military superpower, whether Indians like it or not. Even USA is bending over backwards to accommodate them. A lot of the trade of these small nations is with China. It will take more than hugging for an “armed to the teeth” anti China alliance led by Hindus to succeed lol! Hindus have not been east of the Malacca straits for 1000 years…Oh, I forgot; Hindus have not ruled anything for the last 1000 years, until very recently lol!
by jamshed_kharian_pak
US out China IN
by Headstrong
A typically communal rant by our ‘neutral and factual’ commentator, ‘Steve. Not sure why the Hindu angle came in here (and why it’s being allowed), but it’s par for the course, I guess.
Also, a typically anti-Indian rant by someone from a country which is adept at finding sugar daddies to beg from since independence. Problems with neighbours? Just three – and issues with all, all the time. Including against so called ‘brothers’.
Sheer frustration, is it ‘Steve’?
by Basudev
Rajputs, and kingdoms in South India were Hindu kingdoms. And don’t forget marathas too. So your saying that Hindus have not ruled anything for last thousand years is false. And FYI kingdoms from South India had their empires stretched up to Indonesia which is situated after the Malacca strait. Again your bias against Hinduism makes you unable to see beyond. And please don’t bring religion to table in a defense discussion.
Sorry about my bad English.
by Basudev
Not all of our neighbors have problems with us, for instance Bhutan. India has more claim on Kashmir than what Pakistan has. The king of Kashmir had signed the treaty ascending the Kashmir state into union of India. And about Chinese claim on Taiwan, can you please elaborate. Morever don’t bring Kashmir issue here please.
by TZK
Violet’s envy of China had got the better of him and his posts were political in nature accusing China and in particular the Han people of aggression towards their neighbours. Steve responded with his own political observations which Headstrong and Basudev take issue with and they made further political comments which will no doubt elicit a response from others. There are a number of political forums on the internet and thus is not one of them. I suggest that we refrain from politics.
by TZK
I fail to understand why Indians detest China. Is it because they are communist, they have a stronger economy and military, they help Pak or all of these.
by Headstrong
There are others who are communist. There are others who are stronger economically and militarily.
No, it is China’s consistent efforts to block India that makes India wary.China is revanchist, much like Pakistan is, while India prefers the status quo. China seeks to undo the century of humiliation by grabbing territory from others. In its efforts, it is prepared to prop up dangerously unstable countries, such as Pakistan and North Korea, so as to box in those it considers as potential rivals.
India is not alone in detesting China and its methods. Look around, there are many many more. But not its puppets,of course. They’re only too willing to be played.
by Tufail bakshi
Sir please read the history properly
by Basudev
Can you please tell me where I went wrong.It would be nice if you to do that.
by Steve
Seems like my comment has hit a nerve as usual. It’s been allowed by mods probably because it is neutral factual and relevant. Can’t make out what you are saying. Usual confused rhetoric..
by Steve
Of course you don’t want Kashmir discussed as the whole world knows about the Indian trickery and the fraud ascension treaty. Bhutan is a subservient colony. Maybe you guys have problems with countries who are not like Bhutan, like the other surrounding countries.
by Violet
Oops looks like some chinese fanboy here got really ruffled. Unfortunately, that is what years and years of madrasa education does. Hmmm…i just hope religious fanatics like you dont go on blowing themselves up in front of a mosque in Lahore or Karachi just because someone on Quwa criticised an imbecile’s poster country- China !!!.
BTW, next time you visit your madrasa ask your extremist (a politically correct term for another word) bearded teacher, where was your chinese sugar daddy when an apparently hindu nation caused the surrender of more than 70,000 Pakistanis back in ’71. Ask him where was the whole of muslim ummah when the Pakistanis were being thrashed and sent as sobbing prisoners of wars after East Pakistan was converted into a sovereign, independent country of Bangladesh.
Until then keep licking your chinese candy. That might help some fanatics like you from going on a killing spree of your own brethren in Pakistan.
P.S. I challenge Quwa to publish this. After all Mr. Bilal’s so called moderator capabilities are being put to test wherein he conveniently allows comments on religious lines from a Pak sympathiser on a defense forum like this, whereas he chooses to filter others’ who choose to respond to attention seeking “kids” in the same coin.
by Headstrong
Of course you can’t make out what I’m saying. Anything rational tends to confuse you, ‘Steve’. What you want to read is blind hate. Since you viscerally hate Hindus, you want the narrative to be communal. You would have been satisfied if I had replied with an anti-Muslim rant. That would have fit in nicely with your narrow minded view of the world.
Sorry, ‘Steve’. It only makes you look like small and petty. As always.
And as far as the mods allowing this line of argument goes, it’s disappointing. But par for the course, as I said
by Abdul Rashid
Reference to religion removed from Steve’s comment.