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. 

Defence Asset Procurement Policy - Logistical Consideration

In the prior article, we have discussed about non-conventional threats. While non-conventional threats are strictly police matters, in many situations, military will be called in to assist police operations.

In this installment, we will look into how logistics consideration can influence defence procurement decision.

Defence Asset Procurement Policy - A Need

Note: this article is intended as a follow through to my previous article titled "Procurement Shift in the Pipeline?"

The last major large scale defence asset procurement made under a single programme was under the PERISTA (Program Pembangunan Rancangan Istimewa ATM) which began in the late 70's which trickled through the 1980's.

The programme which saw Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) underwent a large scale modernization programme which changed it's face from a counter-insurgency centric defence force into a largely capable semi-conventional armed forces.

 

Part of PERISTA Programme.  Unfortunately, there is a dearth of material on PERISTA purchases.