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‘FAB’ hauls his gargantuan Sukhoi Su-30MKM Flanker into a gentle left turn, plugs the ‘burners for some airspeed and levels off before pulling back on the stick and grabbing sky like a moon-bound Saturn V. Outside, vortices stream from the multirole fighter’s canard foreplanes as moisture is literally squeezed from the humid Singapore air. The humidity is a God-send for those looking for some spectacular ‘vapes’. “One thousand… two thousand… three thousand…” The minute the count reaches “Four thousand…”, Lt Col Faisal Abu Bakar, callsign Fab, kicks left rudder and grunts inside his Ulmer Su30 UECT 82VB oxygen mask as...

USAF F-15Cs train with Su-30MKMs for the first time While we often talk about the newest fifth-generation fighters in the US (and now others') inventory, it can't be forgotten that the vast majority of the operational fleet consists of so-called "legacy" fourth-generation machines. Though having sometimes served for decades, many of these fighters are still extremely capable. The Boeing F-15C Eagle is considered by many to be the finest air superiority machine ever built. Recently in April, the 18th Wing's 67th Fighter Squadron, which flies active electronically scanned array radar-equipped versions of the venerable Eagle, participated in a two-week exercise...

By September, operations at the Royal Malaysian Air Force base here are expected to be an all-Malaysian affair. Gone will be the 50-odd Russian and Indian technical crew, engineering officers and instructor pilots following the end of their two-year service tenure. RMAF chief Gen Datuk Seri Rodzali Daud said the departure of the expatriates would pose a strong challenge to the local airmen and women to stand on their own and operate the Sukhoi SU-30MKM flanker multi-role combat aircraft. "We are confident (that we can) run the base and flight operations by ourselves, by which time there will be proper...

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...