Malaysian Aviation body takes flight

Source: Qantas

PETALING JAYA: A new agency that will manage the economic side of Malaysia’s aviation industry has taken off.

The Malaysian Aviation Commis­sion (MAC) will have its eye on commercial flights here and, among others, manage airline licences, traffic rights and routes.

Speaking to The Star, its executive chairman Jen (Rtd) Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad expressed surprise over his appointment.

“It’s a real surprise to me that the Government still considered me to lead this very important course in the aviation industry,” he said.

Formerly in the Royal Malaysian Air Force , Abdullah said he retired from service about 10 years ago.

RMAF to take delivery of two more Airbus A400M this year

PETALING JAYA, January 13: The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) will be taking delivery of two more Airbus A400M transport aircraft this year, in April and November.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said RMAF now was already in possession of two Airbus A400M.

"Today RMAF took delivery of the second A400M to meet the country's defence needs.

New Air Force base in Sendayan 40 per cent completed

PORT DICKSON: The construction of the new airbase for the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) in Sendayan, Seremban is now being actively carried out and so far, 40 per cent of the project has been developed.

Air Force chief General Tan Sri Roslan Saad said according to the plan, the new air base was expected to be fully completed by the end of 2016 and operations would begin early the following year.

Malaysian military implements initiatives to beef up security

SEPANGGAR: The Malaysian Armed Forces is implementing nine initiatives to beef up the level of security in Sabah, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.

He said among them were the deployment of two sea basings, namely the Tun Azizan naval base and Tun Sharifah Rodziah naval base to enhance maritime security in the waters off Sabah east coast.

Air Commandos Complete Teak Mint 15-1

Joint HALO jumps durings Exercise TEAK MINT 15-1 (Source: US Air Force)

SUBANG AB, Malaysia -- Members from the 353rd Special Operations Group along with members from the 36th Airlift Squadron conducted multinational and bilateral training during Joint Chief of Staff Exercise Teak Mint 15-1 in Kuala Lumpur and Kuantan, Malaysia, May 26 through June 13.

“This exercise has been a great opportunity for our Airmen to learn,” said Maj. Michael S. Perry, Teak Mint 15-1 mission commander. “For the past two weeks, we had the opportunity to build a mutually beneficial relationship between U.S. and Malaysian Air Forces. Each group came here with a diverse perspective shaped by their unique history. I was happy to see how both countries took full advantage of building partnerships and learning from each other. ”

Malaysian Hijacked Oil Tanker Rescued, Pirates Flee

Kuala Lumpur, 19 June 2015 -- Pirates who hijacked a Malaysian oil tanker last week have fled on the ship's lifeboat after being pursued by a Malaysian navy ship, officials said Friday.

Navy chief Abdul Aziz Jaafar said the eight pirates, believed to be Indonesians, abandoned the MT Orkim Harmony late Thursday. All 22 crew members were safe, except for an Indonesian cook who was shot in the thigh, Abdul Aziz tweeted.

He said three navy ships and two helicopters are searching for the pirates. The ship is sailing back to Malaysia's northern Kuantan port, escorted by a naval ship, he said.

The tanker, carrying 7.5 million liters (2 million gallons) of gasoline worth 21 million ringgit ($5.7 million), was headed to Kuantan when communications were lost June 11. The crew consisted of 16 Malaysians, five Indonesians and a Myanmar national.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said earlier that the ship was detected in waters off southern Vietnam late Wednesday and had been repainted black from blue. Abdul Aziz also tweeted pictures of the tanker, showing some letters of the name of the ship painted over to give it a new name, "Kim Harmon."

He said the eight pirates were armed with pistols and machetes, and spoke with Indonesian accents.

The maritime agency said the hijacking was believed to be the work of a syndicate targeting vessels for their cargos of fuel. It said this was the fifth theft in waters off southern Malaysia this year.

It was the second tanker hijacked this month. Another Malaysian tanker carrying diesel fuel was hijacked June 4 in the same area and was released after its fuel was siphoned off.

Maritime officials have said it is more difficult to steal gasoline because it is highly flammable and requires special safety equipment.

The International Maritime Bureau says attacks against small tankers off Southeast Asia's coasts have been rising since last year.

Pirates have been particularly active near Indonesia's Bintan island and in the South China Sea, where 11 vessels were hijacked last year, the bureau said. (AP)

Nine Foreign Aircraft Caught Intruding Indonesian Airspace, Says Air Force

June 8, 2015 -- The Indonesian Air Force has so far intercepted nine foreign aircraft illegally flying over Ambalat-Karang Unarang airspace in East Kalimantan by June, Tarakan Air Force base commander Lt Col Tiopan Hutapea said on Sunday.

The Jakarta Post quoted Tiopan as saying that the aircraft which included military jets, helicopters and drones were from Malaysia and entered Indonesian territory without proper documentation.

RMAF to Retain MiG-29N Fighter Aircraft

KUANTAN: The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) fleet of MiG-29N fighter aircraft will remain an important asset to the country's air defence. RMAF chief General Datuk Seri Roslan Saad said there has been no decision to replace the MIG-29N which had been in service since 1990 and the aircraft will still remain in service. 

He said RMAF will scrutinise the capabilities of the existing MIG-29N fleet to ensure it remains competitive and relevant in safeguarding the country's air space. "Initially, there were plans to phase out the aircraft and replace them with another multi-role combat aircraft. "However, we have decided to upgrade the aircraft to ensure it has similar capabilities with fighter jets owned by other countries," he told reporters after opening RMAF's 57th anniversary here today. (New Straits Times)

Carl Vinson Strike Group Conducts Exercises With Malaysian Military

Two F/A-18 Super Hornets and two Royal Malaysian Air Force Su-30MKMs fly in formation above the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Source: US Navy

USS CARL VINSON, At Sea (NNS) -- Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17, and Destroyer Squadron 1 participated in various bi-lateral training events May 10 in the South China Sea with Malaysian air and surface units in support of Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet theater security cooperation objectives.

AIM-120C7 AMRAAM Missiles Approved for Malaysia

WASHINGTON, May 5, 2015 - The US State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Malaysia for AIM-120C7 AMRAAM Missiles and associated equipment, parts and logistical support for an estimated cost of $21 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.

496 Malaysians Evacuated From Yemen - Wisma Putra

C-130 of the RMAF (Source: Youtube)

KUALA LUMPUR, April 14  -- A total of 496 Malaysian students have been evacuated from Sana'a, Hodaidah, Aden and Hadramawt in Yemen.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement here said 153 of the students were from Sana'a and Hodaidah, Aden (67 students) and Hadramawt (276 students).

Two RMAF Aircraft Now In UAE To Evacuate More Malaysians

C-130 of the RMAF (Source: Youtube)

KUALA LUMPUR, April 8  -- Two Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) aircraft are standing by in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to evacuate more Malaysians from strife-torn Yemen, Chief of Armed Forces, Tan Sri Zulkefli Mohd Zin said Wednesday.

He said the Hercules C-130 aircraft, with 43 armed forces personnel, flew to the UAE Tuesday night from the RMAF airbase in Subang.

MKN Evacuates Malaysians From Yemen, Expect To Depart For Malaysia Today

Datuk Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab

KUALA LUMPUR, April 5  -- A total of 156 Malaysians who had been evacuated from Yemen due to conflicts in the country, are expected to depart for home starting tomorrow.

National Security Council (MKN) secretary Datuk Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab said MKN had began efforts to evacuate Malaysians out of that strife-torn country.

CTRM Aviation Gets Contract Extension With RMAF

A400M of the RMAF (Source: Airbus)

KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 - CTRM Aviation, a subsidiary of Composite Technology Research Malaysia Sdn Bhd (CTRM), has signed an extension of the Direct Purchase Agreement (DPA) worth RM18 million with the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).

The agreement covers maintenance, repair, fabrication and modification of composites materials for any RMAF's aerostructures and non-structures assets in accordance with the original equipment manufacturers' standards, CTRM said in a statement.

Saab Receives Letter of Award for Electronic Warfare System for Malaysia

ESP on a Seeker II UAV (Source: Saab)

Defence and security company Saab recently announced that it has received a Letter of Award from the Royal Malaysian Air Force for the supply of an ESP system (Electronic Surveillance Payload).

Malaysia Always Monitors Presence of Foreign Military Assets in South China Sea

MiG-29 of the RMAF (Source: Internet)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia March 23 - The government always monitors the presence of foreign military assets and personnel in the South China Sea to ensure the sovereignty and security of the country were safeguarded.

Deputy Defence Minister Abd Rahim Bakri said various initiatives had been implemented in the efforts to tackle issues concerning maritime disputes including those involving the major powers such as China in the South China Sea area.

Russian Helicopters Delivered 189 aircraft to Asia-Pacific Region in the Past Three Years

Mi-35 from Russian Helicopters (Source: Rostec)

Russian Helicopters, part of State Corporation Rostec, continues to supply helicopters across the Asia-Pacific region, including India. Over the past three years 189 commercial and military aircraft were delivered, which includes Rosoboron export contracts. In 2014 deliveries increased by 11% on 2012, and today more than 1,400 Russian-built helicopters operate in the region.

RUAG Completes Major Upgrade on Dassault Falcon 900 for RMAF

Falcon 900 of the Royal Malaysian Air Force in Geneva (Source: RUAG)

RUAG Aviation‘s Geneva maintenance facility under contract with Malaysia’s Airod Sdn Bhd has recently carried out an extensive upgrade on a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Falcon 900 aircraft. Securing this major check followed a successful relationship in engine and component repair and overhaul between the two organisations on other aircraft types.

EPI and GTA Sign TP400 Support Agreement for Royal Malaysian Air Force

At the signing ceremony (Source: Snecma)

EPI (Europrop International) and GTA (Global Turbine Asia) signed, in the presence of the Defense Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Bin Tun Hussein, a Letter of Intent at LIMA 2015 for a contract concerning the technical support of the TP400 turboprop engines powering the four Airbus A400M military transports ordered by the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF). According to the terms of this contract, GTA will provide technical support services and spare parts management on behalf of EPI. GTA will be supporting a total of 18 TP400 engines.

Airbus Helicopters Malaysia and Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation Seal Joint Venture Agreement at LIMA 2015

Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation Berhad (BHIC) signed an agreement to acquire a 30 percent share in the Airbus Helicopters Simulation Center in Malaysia.

This joint venture agreement was signed by BHIC Chairman YBhg Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Lodin Wok Kamaruddin and Philippe Monteux, Airbus Helicopters Senior Vice President for South East Asia & Pacific region, in the presence of Malaysian Defence Minister Y.B. Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.