No Half-Cooked Analysis Please

With reference to Dr. Kua Kia Soong's letter to The Star titled  "Defence priorities in need of Mat Sabu's attention", published on Tuesday, 15 May 2018.

Thank God for the end of the GE! Life is getting back to normal and now we have a letter from SUARAM's adviser, Dr. Kua Kia Soong on tasks that the Minister of Defence would need to look at.

MRCA - Gambaran Besar

Dengan program MRCA India telah mencapai kata putus dengan pembelian pesawat Rafale dan Indonesia memilih untuk membeli 11 buah pesawat SU-35 buatan Rusia, tumpuan kembali ke atas program MRCA Malaysia yang masih belum mencapai kata putus walaupun penilaian pesawat telah bermula semenjak 2002.

Apakah sebenarnya yang melewatkan program MRCA Malaysia?  Apakah benar kerajaan Malaysia tidak mempunyai dana untuk program tersebut?  Atau apakah ada faktor lain yang menyebabkan kelewatan kepada program tersebut?

MRCA - The Big Picture

With the Indian MRCA seeing conclusion with the selection of Rafale contract and Indonesia selecting to purchase 11 Russian-made SU35 , eyes are now back on Malaysia.  The Malaysian MRCA programme has yet to be concluded despite being evaluated since 2002.

So what is delaying the Malaysian MRCA programme?  Is it because Malaysian Government do not have the money for the programme?  Or are there other underlying reasons which has resulted in the programme having a very slow start?

Eurofighter Kembali Bertanding?

Dalam satu perkembangan (13 Februari 2018) yang mengejutkan, Reuters UK telah melaporkan bahawa BAe (British Aerospace) masih berminat untuk merebut kontrak untuk membekalkan pesawat MRCA kepada TUDM, dipercayai bernilai sekitar RM7 hingga ke RM8 bilion. 

Eurofighter Back In Contention?

In a surprising turn of event (13 February 2018), Reuters UK had reported that BAe (British Aerospace) is still eyeing to clinch the prized MRCA supply contract to RMAF, believed to be worth between RM7 to RM8 billion. The attempt, believed  as a last ditch attempt to get the coveted contract as BAe had poured huge amount of effort to secure the contract.

The MRCA, short for Multi-Role Combat Aircraft is probably one of the most protracted tender process in the world, stretching from 2002 until today, across the administration of 2 defence ministers and at least 3 Air Force Chiefs. 

Pengkajian Semula Program MRCA Malaysia

"Ingatkan panas sehingga ke petang, rupanya hujan di tengah hari", pepatah Melayu yang paling tepat menjelaskan perasaan ramai pengkaji sektor pertahanan negara apabila Menteri Pertahanan, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein mengumumkan bahawa program MRCA tidak akan diteruskan semasa LIMA 2017. 

Laluan Penuh Ranjau
Program MRCA yang asalnya diumumkan sekitar 2003 - 2005 (saya tidak berapa ingat bila) bertujuan untuk menggantikan pesawat pemintas tersohor MiG29N TUDM.

Program tersebut ditunda buat pertama kalinya semasa ekonomi dunia mengalami kemurungan yang teruk pada tahun 2008 akibat krisis subprime di Amerika Syarikat yang telah menjangkiti seluruh dunia. 

Relook into Malaysian MRCA Programme

"Ingatkan panas sehingga ke petang, rupanya hujan di tengah hari", a Malay proverb which best encapsulate the feeling of many defence watchers when the Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein announced that the MRCA programme will not go through during the LIMA 2017. 

The Programme's Hiccups

The MRCA programme which was first announced circa 2003 - 2005 (I can't really remember when) was intended to replace the venerable MiG29N Fulcrum interceptor for RMAF. 

The programme was first deferred when the global economy had went into a severe recession in 2008 due to the subprime crisis in the US which had unfortunately infected the rest of the world. 

Kings and Pawns

Just before I went to sleep last night, I noticed there were some news claiming that French has finally made a move on the Scorpene case. And pro-opposition begin to trump the case as the end of PM Najib.

KD Tunku Abdul Rahman, one of the 2 Scorpene submarines with RMN

I told myself why not let it fester a bit more and see how it turns out.

To Replace or Not to Replace - RMAF Dilemma

The recent loss of 1 RMAF BAe Hawk 108 Lead-In Fighter Trainer (or LIFT) has been pounced upon by some quarters to push the Federal Government to procure new MRCA (Multi-Role Combat Aircraft) to replace the BAe Hawk 108. They claimed the crash is evidence that the plane is no longer viable and must be replaced.

RMAF BAe Hawk 108
Credit BAe

MRCA Deal - Between Existential Threat and National Debt

Looks like someone had just canceled his one-way ticket out of Malaysia.

Isn't it ironic during the whole diplomatic crisis with North Korea, someone choose to keep quiet? For all these years he had been claiming that Malaysia doesn't need advanced defence system, here is a nation that quite rightly has the capability not only to attack us, but also even put the mighty US on a wary note.

MRCA - Do We Still Need Them?

LIMA 2017 came and go, and still no MRCA being signed. The official visit by French President François Hollande to Malaysia was expected by many as culmination of years of effort to get Malaysia to procure D'assault Aviation Rafale soon dissipated when Prime Minister DS Najib Tun Razak mentioned that we will not be buying the Rafale, yet.

MRCA Rumours - Typhoon?

I didn't expect it to be this soon (after last night's article), but it seems I'm going to write about the MRCA replacement programme again.

Short Take on the MRCA Programme and Debunking a Political Post

I'm just catching up with all the posts I missed in the Groups that I am in. But I must say, this post is way off the mark. The SU-34 and SU-35 did not make the cut.

http://www.financetwitter.com/2016/04/najib-regime-interested-to-buy-russian-su-34-su-35-worth-billions.html

The competition for the contract is currently opened for British BAe Eurofighter Typhoon (latest configuration), French Rafale D, US Advanced Super Hornet, and Swedish Saab Gripen (in accordance of preference in terms of capabilities and technology).