Just saw this at http://jdw.janes.com/public/jdw/index.shtml

Malaysia to place MiG-29s in storage
Malaysia will de-activate its Russian Aircraft Corporation (RSK) MiG MiG-29N multirole fighter aircraft fleet in 2007 to ensure enough fighter pilots are available to operate...
28-Jul-2006

Malaysia cannot produce enough pilots for just 16 MiG-29N fighters from 25 million people - it's incredible.

Cheers,
Sunho

Originally posted by datafuser:
Just saw this at http://jdw.janes.com/public/jdw/index.shtml

[b]Malaysia to place MiG-29s in storage
Malaysia will de-activate its Russian Aircraft Corporation (RSK) MiG MiG-29N multirole fighter aircraft fleet in 2007 to ensure enough fighter pilots are available to operate...
28-Jul-2006

Malaysia cannot produce enough pilots for just 16 MiG-29N fighters from 25 million people - it's incredible.

Cheers,
Sunho

http://datafuser.blogspot.com/[/b]

good for them... shows that they dun anyhow choose pilots either...

the news cant be find in the link.
pl link up again and trial.

seriously, i cannot find any sources beyond janes. not even in NST.

*wonder if it warrants a check with NLB*

Originally posted by datafuser:
Just saw this at http://jdw.janes.com/public/jdw/index.shtml

[b]Malaysia to place MiG-29s in storage
Malaysia will de-activate its Russian Aircraft Corporation (RSK) MiG MiG-29N multirole fighter aircraft fleet in 2007 to ensure enough fighter pilots are available to operate...
28-Jul-2006

Malaysia cannot produce enough pilots for just 16 MiG-29N fighters from 25 million people - it's incredible.

Cheers,
Sunho[/b]

post the entire article out please, thanks ... there are chaps out there that don't want to sign up just to read an article ...

OK, here it is.

Malaysia to place MiG-29s in storage
Dzirhan Mahadzir JDW Correspondent

Kuala Lumpur
28-Jul-2006

Malaysia will de-activate its Russian Aircraft Corporation (RSK) MiG MiG-29N multirole fighter aircraft fleet in 2007 to ensure enough fighter pilots are available to operate the Sukhoi Su-30MKMs that will be delivered that same year.

The decision was made by the Malaysian Armed Forces in light of the fact that the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) has a shortage of qualified pilots and cannot make up the numbers in time to accommodate the entry of the Sukhois into RMAF service.

The RMAF's shortage of pilots stems from a combination of a lack of sufficient aircraft for lead-in fighter training, currently about 11 Aermacchi MB-339As, and shortcomings in the pilot training programme that were addressed in 2003, the ramifications of which are only now being felt.

In addition, a number of RMAF pilots have opted to leave the service for civil aviation, particularly in light of the demand for pilots by Malaysia's low-cost aviation carrier, Air Asia.

Currently the RMAF has one operational MiG-29 squadron, Squadron 19 based at RMAF Kuantan, that contains all 16 aircraft in the inventory. However, readiness problems have resulted in a low number of the fleet being operationally ready, although the newly appointed squadron commander is working to improve the situation. While details of their de-activation schedule are still being worked on, the MiG-29s are due to be placed in storage rather than being sold off to a third party because the RMAF hopes to bring the aircraft back into service once sufficient pilots are available.

The shortage of lead-in fighter aircraft trainers will be addressed through the purchase of eight MB-339 C/Ds, which is currently being negotiated.

Meanwhile, the RMAF's plans to purchase an undisclosed amount of Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) bomb kits appears to be stalled owing to the fact that the purchase would also require upgrades to be made to the RMAF's Boeing F/A-18Ds in order to operate the JDAMs. The upgrades would entail additional funding that is expected to be unavailable given Malaysia's budgetary constraints.

Cheers,
Sunho

tx very interesting.

some MY old news. wait a while

RMAF site

Every now and then we hear of their trainers crashing, the latest being a Hawk. No wonder there’s a shortage of pilots. Sad state of affairs….

could it be due to availability of spares?

they have orders Flankers isn't it?

Chinese used to be GOOD pilots, but the policy....

Those guys have more trainers than fighters and they still don’t produce enuff pilots?? .

Originally posted by coolant:

Chinese used to be GOOD pilots, but the policy....

Is there an official policy barring ethnic Chinese from becoming pilots in the RMAF?

The name Lt Kol Tan Hui Hock in the article below is clearly Chinese.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/6/24/nation/14642794&sec=nation

Cheers,
Sunho

Originally posted by datafuser:

Is there an official policy barring ethnic Chinese from becoming pilots in the RMAF?

The name Lt Kol Tan Hui Hock in the article below is clearly Chinese.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/6/24/nation/14642794&sec=nation

Cheers,
Sunho

Sorry, Datafuse, I use the word in too loose term, it should be some sort of “ de facto”, but u know, there’s nothing absolute, only if u are preferred or not .

The Malaysian Air Force has seen several accidents over the past few years which has resulted in decreasing inventory numbers, particularly for its combat types.

2 MiG-29Ns have been lost in accidents since the delivery of 18 such warplanes in 1995. The Hawk Mk 108/208 trainer/light attack fleet has suffered surprisingly high attrition compared to other countries using similar aircraft, with 4 Mk 108 and 2 Mk 208 aircraft lost over 7 years, leaving 22 airframes out of 28 delivered. At least one MB-339A has been lost and low availability rates plague many other aircraft types, the most glaring example being its MiG-29N fleet, with only 6 out of 16 airworthy at any one time. The small fleet of 8 F/A-18Ds continue to provide good service but limited funding means that they unlikely to be upgraded or replaced with the more modern F/A-18F in the next few years.

With the proposed storage (assuming 2-3 years) of their MiG-29N fleet, does the Malaysian Air Force have enough critical numbers of warplanes to secure its large borders? One question that I have been wondering about is why no attrition buys of replacement aircraft have taken place yet.

Similarly, I have been searching for information whether the RSAF has bought replacement F-16s for the 2 lost in seperate mishaps in 2002 and 2004. Officially there are 60 out of 62 F-16C/Ds delivered between 1998 and 2004 remaining. Anyone has any idea on this?

Actually it is surprsing how badly some countries plan when acquiring aircraft for their air forces.

Indonesia recently admited that the Sukhois it bought and received delivery are not being flown as they were not ordered with weopons and appropriate communications equipment (Air Forces Monthly).

You'd think something as basic as weopons and radios would be high on the list of boxs to be checked off when buying fighter aircraft no?

I guess too many countries buy aircraft that are flashy and sexy without due consideration on how they will actually fit in with operations.

Originally posted by ^Delta^:

The Malaysian Air Force has seen several accidents over the past few years which has resulted in decreasing inventory numbers, particularly for its combat types.

2 MiG-29Ns have been lost in accidents since the delivery of 18 such warplanes in 1995. The Hawk Mk 108/208 trainer/light attack fleet has suffered surprisingly high attrition compared to other countries using similar aircraft, with 4 Mk 108 and 2 Mk 208 aircraft lost over 7 years, leaving 22 airframes out of 28 delivered. At least one MB-339A has been lost and low availability rates plague many other aircraft types, the most glaring example being its MiG-29N fleet, with only 6 out of 16 airworthy at any one time. The small fleet of 8 F/A-18Ds continue to provide good service but limited funding means that they unlikely to be upgraded or replaced with the more modern F/A-18F in the next few years.

With the proposed storage (assuming 2-3 years) of their MiG-29N fleet, does the Malaysian Air Force have enough critical numbers of warplanes to secure its large borders? One question that I have been wondering about is why no attrition buys of replacement aircraft have taken place yet.

Similarly, I have been searching for information whether the RSAF has bought replacement F-16s for the 2 lost in seperate mishaps in 2002 and 2004. Officially there are 60 out of 62 F-16C/Ds delivered between 1998 and 2004 remaining. Anyone has any idea on this?

There were a purchase of two F16D Blk 52 variants back in 1999 to replace the two lost F16A and there were delivered and with Peace Carvin III since...

Originally posted by dork3d:

There were a purchase of two F16D Blk 52 variants back in 1999 to replace the two lost F16A and there were delivered and with Peace Carvin III since...

Thanks...

Actually I was not referring to the 2 F-16As which collided in 1991 but rather the 2 recent losses involving the F-16Cs in 2002 and 2004. Can't seem to find news on replacements for those.

http://www.f-16.net/f-16_mishaps_airforce-RSAF.html

alamak, most probably all the manuals & labellings on the plane comes in Russian, none of the pilots can read mah…so got to go for Russian lessons before able to operate, hence insufficient numbers, haha.

Originally posted by ^Delta^:

Thanks...

Actually I was not referring to the 2 F-16As which collided in 1991 but rather the 2 recent losses involving the F-16Cs in 2002 and 2004. Can't seem to find news on replacements for those.

http://www.f-16.net/f-16_mishaps_airforce-RSAF.html

If me's not worng about it, me saw it in Jane's that one F16C that was lost in 2002 during a training stint was replaced by USAF with a variant of F16D Blk 52... And the loss in 2004 was already procured and replaced in the last order option when RSAF purchased the last F16D Blk 52 in 2004 just after two months of the mishap...

While this is just biased speculation, I can't help wondering, for neighbouring countries where graft is a way of life, if the decision makers for major weopons purchases make their unwise purchases based on which arms seller offers a bigger cut into their pocket.

Their people's natural relak relak way of life probably also extend to their maintenance and training standards, hence contributing to high attrition.

Originally posted by huaichien:

While this is just biased speculation, I can't help wondering, for neighbouring countries where graft is a way of life, if the decision makers for major weopons purchases make their unwise purchases based on which arms seller offers a bigger cut into their pocket.

Their people's natural relak relak way of life probably also extend to their maintenance and training standards, hence contributing to high attrition.

Don't stereotype them lah... Give them the appropriate respect, can? It's not what they wanted also...

Originally posted by dork3d:

If me's not worng about it, me saw it in Jane's that one F16C that was lost in 2002 during a training stint was replaced by USAF with a variant of F16D Blk 52... And the loss in 2004 was already procured and replaced in the last order option when RSAF purchased the last F16D Blk 52 in 2004 just after two months of the mishap...

USAF Block 52 F-16Ds do not have the spine. And serials do not indicate any aircraft has transferred. I reckon both lost aircraft were not replaced.

I dont know what they`re doing. It`s unbelievable.

Originally posted by Arthas79:

I dont know what they`re doing. It`s unbelievable.

buying and store for the sake of spending money? what a great way to throw money sia.....why dont come here?

DONT WASTE TIME