Crest of the Royal Malaysian Air Force
Royal Malaysian Air Force ( RMAF ) is in the air force of Malaysian Armed Forces. The team is tasked to defend the Malaysian air space and equipped with fighters and transports .
Royal Air Force was established in 1958 as a Federal Air Force Malaya. But history can be traced RMAF well in advance with the establishment of the Malayan Volunteer Air Force (Malayan Auxiliary Air Force) as a local branch Royal Air Force at the time of British colonialism .
Modernisation[]
RMAF Sukhoi Su-30MKMs seen from top and bottom
With the withdrawal of British military forces, TUDM underwent gradual modernisation from the 1970s to the 1990s. The Sabres were replaced by 16 Northrop F-5E Tiger-IIs. A reconnaissance capability was acquired with the purchase of two RF-5E Tigereye aircraft. TUDM also purchased 88 ex-US Navy Douglas A-4C Skyhawks, of which 40 of the airframes were converted/refurbished by Grumman Aircraft Engineering at Bethpage into the A-4PTM ('Peculiar To Malaysia'), configuration (similar to A-4M standard). TUDM has traditionally looked to the West for its purchases, primarily to the United States. However, limitations imposed by the US on "new technology" to the region, such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM fire-and-forget air-to-air missile, has made TUDM consider purchases from Russia and other non-traditional sources. The 1990s saw the arrival of first the BAE Hawk Mk108/208 which replaced the T/A-4PTMs, followed by the MiG-29N/NUB in 1995 in the air superiority role and delivery of the F/A-18D Hornet in 1997 to provide an all weather interdiction capability. In 2003 a contract was signed for eighteen Su-30MKMs for delivery in 2007 to fulfill a requirement for an initial order of multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA). A requirement for a further eighteen MRCAs remains unfulfilled. TUDM is also looking for an AWACS aircraft, although no firm orders have been placed.
On 8 December 2005, four Airbus Military A400M aircraft were ordered to enhance the airlift capability. The first Malaysian A400M is delivered in March 2015.[1][2] In late 2006, the Government signed a contract to purchase eight Aermacchi MB-339CMs to add to the eight MB-339AMs already in service. In March 2007, then-Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Najib Razak notified the public that the MiG-29s would continue in service until 2010. Later that year, Najib announced the Nuri (Sikorsky S-61A-4) helicopter, in service since 1968 with 89 crew members killed in 15 accidents, would be phased out by 2012 and replaced by the Eurocopter EC725.[3] Deputy RMAF Chief Lieutenant General Bashir Abu Bakar told the media after opening Heli-Asia 2007, that tender assessment for the replacement of the Sikorsky S-61A-4 would occur in early 2008.[4] In June 2009, RMAF chief General Azizan Ariffin said that the air force would replace their MiG-29s with aircraft that have better agility and the capability to attack enemy forces.[5] At the 12th Defence Services Asia (DSA) exhibition 2010,[6] a Letter of Agreement (LOA) was signed for 12 EC725 helicopters to be supplied to the RMAF.[7] With that, EADS, (the European Aeronautical Defence and Space Company), has pledged 100 million Euros to set up a comprehensive helicopter centre in Subang for an aeronautical academy, training, simulation and a maintenance, repair and overhaul facility for the EC725 Cougar military version and the EC225 civilian model.[8]
In late 2013, Vector Aerospace, a global independent provider of aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, with its subsidiary, Vector Aerospace Helicopter Services-North America ("HS-NA"), one of the world’s leading providers of helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services was chosen to carry out a comprehensive fully integrated glass cockpit installation for the S-61A-4 Nuri, breathing new life in an already well established platform, and giving a modern,reliable and cost effective product that will carry the S61A-4 Nuri well into the future. The Royal Malaysian Air Force currently has an MRCA replacement program to replace the MiG-29 and F-5 fighters that will be retired by the end of 2015. The MRCA replacement program is currently narrowed down to 4 types of aircraft (Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Saab JAS 39 Gripen). Under the program, the RMAF is looking to equip three squadrons with 36 to 40 new fighter aircraft with a budget of RM6 billion to RM8 billion (US$1.84 billion to US$2.46 billion).[9]
Air bases[]
Airbases of the Royal Malaysian Air Force.
Royal Malaysian Air Force and US Air Force participating in Cope Taufan 2014
List:
- TUDM Butterworth, Penang (RMAF Butterworth), Penang (Base of FA18 Hornets)
- TUDM Kuantan, Pahang (RMAF Kuantan) (Base of MiG-29s)
- TUDM Gong Kedak, Kelantan (RMAF Gong Kedak) (Base of Su-30MKMs)
- TUDM Labuan (RMAF Labuan) (Base of BAE Hawks)
- TUDM Kuala Lumpur
- TUDM Subang, Selangor (RMAF Subang), Selangor
- TUDM Kuching, Sarawak (RMAF Kuching)
- TUDM Alor Setar, Kedah (RMAF Alor Setar) (Air Force Academy)
- TUDM Ipoh, Perak (RMAF Ipoh) (Air Force School)
- TUDM Bukit Lunchu Johor (RMAF Skn 323)(Control and Reporting Post)
- TUDM Kinrara, Selangor (RMAF Kinrara) (School of Logistic Management; also houses a central hospital facility)
- TUDM Bukit Jugra, Selangor (RMAF Bukit Jugra) (PASKAU headquarters)
- TUDM Bukit Ibam, Pahang (RMAF Skuadron 322)
Organisation[]
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RMAF personnel performing combat air rescue at Cope Taufan 2012
- 1st Division
- 2 Squadron – Global Express, Boeing BBJ (737–700), Subang AFB
- 3 Squadron – S-61A4A Nuri, Butterworth AFB
- 10 Squadron – Eurocopter EC-725, Kuantan AFB
- 11 Squadron – Su-30MKM Flanker, Gong Kedak AFB
- 12 Squadron – Northrop F-5E/F, RF-5E, Butterworth AFB
- 15 Squadron – BAE Hawk 108/208, Aermacchi MB-339CM, Butterworth AFB
- 16 Squadron – Beech 200T, Subang AFB
- 18 Squadron – Boeing F/A-18D Hornet, Butterworth AFB
- 19 Squadron – MiG 29N/UB, Kuantan AFB
- 20 Squadron – Lockheed C-130H Hercules, KC-130T Subang AFB
- 22 Squadron – Airbus A400M, Subang AFB
- 2nd Division
- 1 Squadron – CN-235-220M, Kuching AFB
- 5 Squadron – Eurocopter EC-725, Labuan AFB
- 6 Squadron – BAE Hawk 108/Hawk 208, Labuan AFB
- 7 Squadron – S-61A4A, Nuri Kuching AFB
- 14 Squadron – Lockheed C-130H Hercules, Labuan AFB
- Training Division
- 1 FTC PC-7 Mk II, Alor Setar AFB
- 2 FTC EC-120B Alor, Setar AFB
- 3 FTC MB-339CM, Kuantan AFB
Current inventory[]
A British Aerospace Hawk 200
A AS-61 “Nuri” rescue helicopter
A Sukhoi Su-30MKM over the South China Sea
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat Aircraft | ||||||
| Boeing F/A-18 | United States | multirole | F/A-18D | 8[10] | ||
| BAE Hawk 200 | United Kingdom | light attack | Hawk 208 | 13[10] | ||
| MiG-29 | Russia | multirole | 10[10] | |||
| Sukhoi Su-30 | Russia | multirole | Su-30MKM | 18[10] | ||
| Maritime Patrol | ||||||
| Super King Air | United States | maritime patrol | 200 | 4[10] | ||
| Tanker | ||||||
| KC-130 Hercules | United States | aerial refuelling | KC-130H | 4[10] | ||
| Transport | ||||||
| C-130 Hercules | United States | transport | C-130H | 10[10] | ||
| CASA CN-235 | Spain | utility transport | 6[10] | |||
| Airbus A400M Atlas | France / Spain | transport | 4[11] | |||
| Helicopters | ||||||
| Sikorsky S-70 | United States | VIP / utility | 6[10] | 4 gifted from Brunei[12] | ||
| Eurocopter EC 725 | France | SAR / utility | 12[10] | |||
| Sikorsky S-61 | United States | SAR / utility | 25[10] | being replaced by the EC 725[13] | ||
| Alouette II | France | light utility | 15[10] | |||
| Trainer Aircraft | ||||||
| BAE Hawk | United Kingdom | primary trainer | Hawk 108 | 6[10] | ||
| Super King Air | United States | multi engine trainer | 350 | 2[10] | ||
| Aermacchi MB-339 | Italy | jet trainer | 7[10] | |||
| Pilatus PC-7 | Switzerland | trainer | PC-7 MkII | 53[10] | ||
| Eurocopter EC120 | France | light trainer | 5[10] | |||
| UAV | ||||||
| ScanEagle | United States | surveillance | 2[14] | |||
| CTRM Eagle ARV | Australia | surveillance | 1[14] | developed from the Eagle 150 aircraft | ||
Ranks[]
Until the late 1970s, the Royal Malaysian Air Force used the same officer ranking system as the Royal Air Force. They were replaced by army-style designations and given Malay title equivalents, but the sleeve insignia remained the same mirroring the RAF practice, but all General Officers wear 1 to 5 stars on the shoulder board in addition to the existing sleeve insignia. The list of ranks which are currently used are shown below (in descending order). NCOs and enlisted ranks remained unchanged, and retain their pre-1970s names.
| Equivalent NATO Code | Pre 1970s Rank | Current Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flag Officers | ||||
| OF-10 | Marshal of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (Marsyal Tentera Udara Di Raja Malaysia)[15] | |||
| OF-9 | Air Chief Marshal | General, RMAF (Jeneral, TUDM)[16] | ||
| OF-8 | Air Marshal | Lieutenant General, RMAF (Leftenan Jeneral, TUDM)[17] | ||
| OF-7 | Air Vice Marshal | Major General, RMAF (Mejar Jeneral, TUDM) | ||
| OF-6 | Air Commodore | Brigadier General, RMAF (Brigedier Jeneral, TUDM) | ||
| Senior Officers | ||||
| OF-5 | Group Captain | Colonel, RMAF (Kolonel, TUDM) | ||
| OF-4 | Wing Commander | Lieutenant Colonel, RMAF (Leftenan Kolonel, TUDM) | ||
| OF-3 | Squadron Leader | Major, RMAF (Mejar, TUDM) | ||
| Junior Officers | ||||
| OF-2 | Flight Lieutenant | Captain, RMAF (Kapten, TUDM) | ||
| OF-1 | Flying Officer | Lieutenant, RMAF (Leftenan, TUDM) | ||
| OF-1 | Pilot Officer | Second Lieutenant, RMAF (Leftenan Muda, TUDM) | ||
| Cadets | ||||
| Officer Cadet | Officer Cadet (Pegawai Kadet) | |||
All officers, with the exception of the Marshal of the Royal Malaysian Air Force apply the Air Force acronym (RMAF, TUDM) to their rank title, to differentiate from their Malaysian Army equivalents. For example, a Colonel in the Air Force would be titled Colonel, RMAF or Kolonel, TUDM in Malay.
Warrant Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Enlisted personnel
- Warrant Officer 1 (Pegawai Waran 1)
- Warrant Officer 2 (Pegawai Waran 2)
- Flight Sergeant (Sarjan Penerbangan)
- Air Sergeant (Sarjan Udara)
- Air Corporal (Koperal Udara)
- Leading Aircraftman (Laskar Udara Kanan)
- Aircraftman 1st Class (Laskar Udara I)
- Aircraftman (Laskar Udara II)
- Aircraftman Recruit (Perajurit Muda)
List of Chiefs of the Royal Malaysian Air Force[]
| No | Name | Tenure Begin | Tenure End |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Air Commodore Alexander Vallance Ridell Johnstone | 30 November 1957 | 4 September 1958 |
| 2 | Air Commodore Nicol Challis Hyde | 5 September 1958 | 31 December 1959 |
| 3 | Group Captain John Nichol Stacey | 1 January 1960 | 19 May 1963 |
| 4 | Group Captain C.S.J. West | 20 May 1963 | 13 May 1965 |
| 5 | Air Commodore Alasdair Mackay Sinclair Steedman | 14 May 1965 | 31 October 1967 |
| 6 | Air Vice Marshal Datuk Sulaiman Sujak | 1 November 1967 | 31 December 1976 |
| 7 | Lieutenant General Dato' Mohamed Taib | 1 January 1977 | 24 August 1983 |
| 8 | Lieutenant General Tan Sri Dato' Mohamad Ngah Said | 24 August 1983 | 18 March 1990 |
| 9 | Lieutenant General Dato Seri Mohd Yunus Mohd Tasi | 19 March 1990 | 19 August 1993 |
| 10 | Lieutenant General Dato Seri Abdul Ghani Abdul Aziz | 19 August 1993 | 10 August 1996 |
| 11 | General Tan Sri Dato' Seri Ahmad Saruji Che Rose | 10 August 1996 | 12 June 2001 |
| 12 | General Dato Sri Suleiman Hj Mahmud | 12 June 2001 | 4 March 2003 |
| 13 | General Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad | 4 March 2003 | 4 April 2004 |
| 14 | General Tan Sri Dato Sri Nik Ismail Nik Mahmud | 4 April 2004 | 30 October 2006 |
| 15 | General Tan Sri Dato Sri Azizan Ariffin | 30 October 2006 | 31 August 2009 |
| 16 | General Tan Sri Dato Sri Rodzali Daud | 1 September 2009 | 11 September 2014 |
| 17 | General Tan Sri Roslan Saad | 12 September 2014 | 20 December 2016 |
| 18 | General Dato Seri Affendi Buang | 21 December 2016 | current |
Source:[18][better source needed]
Royal Malaysian Air Force Regiment[]
Two PASKAU officers on patrol at Langkawi Airport security gate during LIMA 2009
The RMAF Regiment is the ground and air defence support unit of the RMAF. The regiment is composed of four sub-units tasked with fulfilling the RMAF's mission. These units are:
- PASKAU
The special forces arm of the RMAF is known as PASKAU (a Malay acronym for Pasukan Khas Udara, which loosely translates as 'Special Air Service'). PASKAU was formed in response to a mortar attack by the then Communist Party of Malaya on a DHC-4 Caribou in the 1970s at the Kuala Lumpur Air Base. During peacetime, the unit is tasked with responding to aircraft hijacking incidents as well as protecting the country's numerous RMAF airbases and civilian airports. Its wartime roles include ground designation, sabotaging of enemy air assets and equipment and the defence of RMAF aircraft and bases. This unit is also deployed for counter-terrorism duties as well as Urban warfare/Close quarters combat.
- RMAF Provost Unit
This is the military police unit of the RMAF Regiment, mandated to provide military police duties in RMAF air bases.
- RMAF Infantry
- RMAF Ground Air Defence Artillery
Aerobatic team[]
The Kris Sakti (English: Magic Dagger) is the aerobatic display team of the Royal Malaysian Air Force. It made its debut on 2011 Langkawi International Maritime and Air Show in December 2011. They operated four Extra 300L aircraft.
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ "Malaysia: Military plane delivery delayed". Agence France-Presse. Business Times. 6 November 2009. Archived from the original on 13 December 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20091213050309/http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20091106131658/Article. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
- ↑ "First Royal Malaysian Air Force's A400M military airlifter rolled out of the paintshop". Air Recognition. 22 January 2015. http://www.airrecognition.com/index.php/archive-world-worldwide-news-air-force-aviation-aerospace-air-military-defence-industry/global-news-2015/january-2015-air-force-military-aviation-defence-industry-news/1450-first-royal-malaysian-air-forces-a400m-military-airlifter-rolled-out-of-the-paintshop.html. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
- ↑ "RMAF’s two new copters arrive". Eurocopter Malaysia. http://www.eurocopter.com.my/rmafs-two-new-copters-arrive/. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
- ↑ "International Tender For Nuri Replacement To Open Soon". Bernama. 24 October 2007. Archived from the original on 24 January 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090124110629/http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news.php?id=291859. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
- ↑ "TUDM tunggu keputusan kerajaan ganti MiG-29N" (in Malay). Utusan Malaysia. 4 June 2009. http://ww1.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2009&dt=0604&pub=utusan_malaysia&sec=Dalam_Negeri&pg=dn_13.htm&arc=hive. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
- ↑ "DSA 2010: Asia’s Largest Defence and Security Exhibition Closes on a ‘High’ Despite Challenges (Ministry of Defence Malaysia signs RM10.355 billion contracts)". Defence Services Asia. April 2010. Archived from the original on 3 November 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101103020456/http://www.dsaexhibition.com/dsa2010/index.php. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
- ↑ "Eurocopter likely to deliver 12 EC725 helicopters to Malaysia". Defense World. 21 April 2010. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110723091202/http://www.defenseworld.net/go/defensenews.jsp?id=4404. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
- ↑ "Aerospace corp to set up copter centre in Subang". New Straits Times. 22 July 2010. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110622063013/http://www.nst.com.my/articles/23eads/Article/. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
- ↑ John Gilbert (18 March 2014). "Three fighter jet makers to submit leasing bids". The Malaysian Reserve. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140819084528/http://themalaysianreserve.com/main/news/corporate-malaysia/5597-three-fighter-jet-makers-to-submit-leasing-bids. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
- ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 10.12 10.13 10.14 10.15 10.16 "World Air Forces 2017". Flightglobal Insight. 2017. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/insight-from-flightglobal-world-air-forces-on-the-r-432247/. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
- ↑ "Fourth and Final A400M Delivered to Malaysia". Airheads Fly. 9 March 2017. http://airheadsfly.com/2017/03/09/fourth-and-final-a400m-delivered-to-malaysia/. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
- ↑ "Brunei gives 4 Black Hawks to Malaysia". airheadsfly.com. http://airheadsfly.com/2015/01/23/brunei-gives-four-black-hawks-as-present-to-malaysia/. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- ↑ "Malaysia's Eurocopter selection kicks up dirt". flightglobal.com. http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/malaysia39s-eurocopter-selection-kicks-up-dirt-317823/. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 SIPRI
- ↑ This rank is only used by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as the Supreme Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces.
- ↑ The Chief of Defence Force and the Chief of the Air Force hold this four-star rank.
- ↑ This three-star rank is bestowed on the commanders of the various RMAF commands, and by the Vice Chief of the Air Force.
- ↑ "History of RMAF". Blogger. 26 October 2009. http://toharudinrasid.blogspot.my/2009/10/history-of-rmaf.html. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
External links[]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Category:Royal Malaysian Air Force. |
- RMAF Official Website
- Malaysian Armed Forces Official Website
- Malaysian Ministry of Defence Official Website
- Scramble, Malaysian Forces Overview, Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia (TUDM)
- Royal Malaysian Air Force Museum
- Bases and Squadrons
The original article can be found at Royal Malaysian Air Force and the edit history here.