Posted on 02/15/2007 4:25:30 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
RMAF's Sukhois to arrive in May — one year late
15 Feb 2007 Adrian David
KUALA LUMPUR: After a one-year delay, the first six Sukhoi Su-30MKM jets will be delivered to the Royal Malaysian Air Force in May.
The RMAF ordered 18 of the Russian jet fighters in 2003 in a US$900 million (RM3.24 billion) deal.
After India and Vietnam, Malaysia will become one of the largest operators of the high-tech jet.
Indonesia has ordered 12, while Thailand is mulling the purchase.
Defence industry sources said the RMAF was ready to take delivery of the jets as the crew of pilots, engineers, technicians and ground support staff had completed their training.
Sources said India was the natural choice for the RMAF crew training as English was the medium of instruction.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is said to be as sembling 140 Su-30MKI for the Indian Air Force.
HAL will provide technical support for equipment such as auxiliary power units, air-cooling systems and spares for the RMAF.
A local service and maintenance centre is also being established.
In December, information technology company Heitech Padu Bhd won a 13-year, RM258 million contract to design, construct, supply, fit, assemble and maintain a Sukhoi flight simulator.
The multi-role Sukhois will gradually replace the RMAF’s 14 two-decade-old US-made F-5E jets and complement its 18 MiG-29N Fulcrums.
"Part of the delay is attributed to the fitting of non-Israeli components (as Malaysia does not have diplomatic ties with the Jewish state).
"Russian and French-made avionics replaced the Indian-Israeli-French combination, while the Israeli electronic counter-measure system was changed to a South African variant," a source said.
Those familiar with the package said it would have the "NIIP N011M Bars" passive electronically scanned-array radar, Kh-35 (AS-20 Kayak), Kh-31A (AS-17 Krypton) and Indo-Russian Brahmos (anti-ship) missiles.
ping.
New fighter jets to a Muslim dominated country? Not a good idea.
There are still thousands of homeless people since the tsunami, and they are spending this kind of money on jets???? Jets will be used against tsunami???
They give me gas...
Good point!
You seem to make the assumption Muzzies might care about their own people, but that's a Judeo-Christian thing.
Seems like the JSF is coming out in the shadow of the Raptor to the point that it may be a good fighter but can't get any play becuase of it's big brother.
Last report I saw the JSF had a much bigger RCS that the Raptor.
Are you sure about the homeless people??Malaysia was affected relatively mildly by the tsunami & most of the victims did immediate relief-that country may be slammic,but it has pretty excellent standards of living.
"Raptor food."
Perhaps, but is it ever likely to face a Raptor? As someone else alluded to it's likely foes are other SU-30s, MiG-29, F-35s.
Mores the point an SU-30 would eat any US carrier based fighters currently deployed.
The F-35 is a bomb truck that can carry A-A missiles. The F-22 is an air-superiority machine that can carry a couple of bombs.
The F-35 is stealty only when illuminated from the front. It lights up like a Christmas tree when pursued from behind. If it has an external bomb load on it's underwing pylons, it isn't even stealty from the front.
Never underestimate the SU-30 when put up against the F/A-18, F-15, or F-35 in a dogfight.
I had done some research on this version of “Flanker” and I do believe that because of the superiority of BVR and advance avionic systems, my country’s “Flanker” do have some advance systems inside that plane.
Don’t forget, the Su-30MKM is fitted with French’s Thales avionic systems plus other advance jamming components as well.
“Flanker” may not as space-edge as the F/A-22, but I doubt the “Flanker” will ever let herself be shotdown without a fight. And never underestimate the upgrades’ effectiveness.
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