Asian Air Power

By 1960 RMAF aircraft consisted of Pioneer transports and Chipmunk trainers operating from Kuala Lumpur – the base having been handed over from the RAF to the RMAF in that year.

In September 1963 Malaya joined with Singapore and the British Borneo territories of Sabah and Sarawak to form Malaysia (although Singapore left the union in 1965). The RMAF now became the Royal Malaysian Air Force which soon found itself involved in ‘Konfrontasi’ (Confrontation) with Sukarno’s Indonesia.

The first years of the RMAF had seen a force dedicated to training or transport duties against communist insurgents. Aircraft operated included Handley Page Heralds and Twin Pioneers. The first Dart Herald arrived in 1963 thereby giving the RMAF medium-range transport capacity and in that year Alouette Ills were added, thereby creating the first rotary wing unit. The increased servicing requirements created by these acquisitions led to the establishment of a School of Technical Training at Kinrara and a new equipment depot at Kuala Lumpur.

‘Konfrontasi’ turned Malaysia’s attention away from the requirements of supporting the army in a guerrilla war to the need for modern air defence. To this time the RMAF had been supplementary to the operations of the RAF, still resident in the country.

In 1961 more modern trainers – Provosts – replaced the elderly Chipmunks. In 1964 FTS functions were transferred to a new base at Alor Star away from crowded Kuala Lumpur. Training was now to be geared to the jet age for although ‘Konfrontasi’ had led to very little military action, it had revealed the need for a force which could under-take front line duties. To this end the Malaysian government gained Canadair CL-41 Tebuan (wasp) armed trainers in 1968.

The dispute with Indonesia had also revealed limitations to Malaysia’s transport capabilities and its basing arrangements.

In 1966 the first STOL heavy lift aircraft were acquired – DHC Caribous -which were based at Labuan which thus became an RMAF base. Sikorsky S-61 helicopters were added to the rotary wing unit in 1967.

The need to operate on all sides of the new Malaysia led to the establishment of an RMAF base on the east coast -at Kuantan – and in Sarawak – at Kuching – in 1967. A sixth base was established in1969 at Butterworth where the RMAF’s first true jet fighters – 10 CAC ex-RAAF Sabres – were stationed. The acquisition of the Sabres allowed the Tebuan pilots to make the logical progression from armed trainer to fighter. The necessity for such aircraft was highlighted by the British decision to withdraw its forces east of Suez.

Butterworth was developed as a major facility with the transfer of RMAF Tactical Air Headquarters to this base, thereby relieving Air Staff Division in Kuala Lumpur of many of the day-to-day executive problems relating to operations undertaken by squadrons in Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaya. The functions of the RAF Air Defence Centre were taken over in 19·/1 through the acquisition of three Marconi S600 radar units which were deployed to Butterworth.

The development of Butterworth for RMAF use was complementary to RAAF operations from this base. Australian Prime Minister, Robert Menzies, had announced in 1955 that Australia would commit two squadrons to the SEATO/Commonwealth Strategic Force and that these aircraft would be based at Butterworth, an old RAF wartimefield. In 1955 the RAAF’s No. 2 Airfield Construction Squadron began the project of repairing and extending the field – an extremely difficult task given that the water table is so near the surface and the area suffers from torrential rain. By 1958 the base was taking RAAF Sabres and Canberras and was capable of taking British V-bombers if necessary.

The combination of RAAF and RMAF development led to the present day Integrated Air Defence System whereby, under the Five Power Defence Arrangement, Britain, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia cooperate for the air defence of the Malaysia-Singapore region. With the basing of two squadrons at Butterworth, the RAAF became the ‘senior partner’ in the air defence system -the senior RAAF officer at Butterworth is still commander IADS.

The RMAF has benefited greatly from various exercises with other air forces. Under the Five Power Defence Arrangement, exercises with RAAF, RNZAF and Republic of Singapore Air Force aircraft are held once or twice a year. Exercises are also held with the Indonesian and Thai air forces. The last exercise with the Thai Air Force was held in March 1982 and code-named ‘Thamal One’. The exercise was between F-5Es of both air forces. The RMAF is fortunate that there is a commonality in the use of the F-5 in the various ASEAN states, but the use of other types plus the presence of the RAAF gives the Malaysian pilots considerable experience in mock dissimilar type combat.

The process of ‘Malaysianisation’ of the RMAF was helped by the return to Malaysia of one of the country’s most accomplished pilots – Datuk Sulaiman Sujak. He had graduated from the RAF College in Cranwell in 1958, winning the Phillip Sasson Memorial Prize for outstanding achievement. He served seven years with the RAF as a fighter and bomber pilot and flying instructor. He transferred to the RMAF In 1965 and was Air Commodore and Chief of Air Staff by 1967. In 1973 he was promoted to Air Vice Marshall.

A year before Air Vice Marshal Datuk Sulaiman Sujak’s retirement, the RMAF gained its first F-5E fighter. This gave the RMAF its most modern aircraft to date. The acquisition of F-5s in 1975 was allowed on a year later with the gaining of Hercules C-130 heavy lift aircraft.

In 1972 the RMAF took a fairly revolutionary step for a Muslim nation, with the recruitment of 38 air women into the ranks. Today the female element of the RMAF plays roles of Air Stewardesses, air quartermasters, Clerks, Air Traffic Control Assistants and Safety Equipment workers. In 1978 the first female RMAF officers were commissioned.

Towards the end of totally localising training and upgrading proficiency at squadron level, the first batch of six pilots passed out as flying instructors from Alor Star in July 1978. The aim has been to produce 24 instructors a year since that time.

Another achievement of the mid-‘seventies was the establishment of an Aircraft Overhaul Depot at Subang (also the site of Kuala Lumpur’s international airport). This depot conducts full overhaul of RMAF aircraft.

By 1979 the full implications of the strategic change in South East Asia were apparent. Saigon had fallen in 1975 and Vietnamese forces were in Kampuchea. The Soviet navy was operating in the Indian Ocean since 1975 and there seemed a very real possibility (later confirmed) that Soviet vessels and aircraft might operate out of Cam Ranh and Da Nang.

In 1979 the RMAF gained its first true long range EEZ surveillance aircraft. The original intention had been to convert two of the RMAF’s six Hercules to maritime patrol, but in the end two C-130MPs were purchased direct from the United States.

By the end of 1979 there was a move to greatly expand the RMAF’s front-line aircraft capacity through the acquisition of A-4 Skyhawks. Thus began a saga.

The original intention appears to have been to purchase 65 A-4Es then surplus to the requirements of the Israeli Air Force; these aircraft would have been refurbished by Israel Aircraft Industries. This idea tended to ignore that Malaysia is a Muslim country that takes a strong stand on the rights of the Palestinians; to trade with Israel would not be acceptable for reasons of relations with other Muslim nations and for reasons of internal politics. By 1980 the Malaysian government was talking confidently of being able to purchase from US surplus, and 22 A-4s were expected to be operating by mid-1981. By 1982 the whole idea of buying surplus A-4s from the United States seemed open to question and Vought representatives were in Kuala Lumpur in February 1982 promoting the A-7 as an alternative. Early in 1983 the situation was clarified: the Malaysian government would buy surplus A-4s but it would buy fewer (40 refurbished from a stock of 63rather than 66 out of 88 as originally stated) and it would not fit advanced inertial navigation, HUD and laser range finders. The new refurbished A-4s would get new VHF/UHF nav/com equipment including ADF and TACAN. Grumman’s refurbishment tender was accepted on the advice of the Finance Ministry; the RMAF had shown a preference for Lockheed. The first RMAF A-4 pilots had begun training in the United States in 1982 with delivery of the first A-4s from Grumman expected in late 1984-early 1985. When these aircraft are finally assembled in Malaysia they will significantly boost the RMAF’s front line aircraft force – but at the same time such a large increase have necessary implications for maintenance and logistics. Some sources believe that this increase will greatly stretch the RMAF’s resources in all areas at a time of budget cutback. To some extent the move has been justified bythe actions of the present Australian government which seems committed to withdrawing all permanently stationed RMF aircraft from Butterworth.

Budget restraints reduced the number of A-4s to be gained by one-third. Budget restraints have also seen the indefinite postponement of a plan to gain an extra 16 F-5s. A plan to gain heavy lift helicopters has met a similar fate and the Malaysian Defence Minister has told the parliament that for the foreseeable future the RMAF will have to rely on Singaporean AEW through the RSAF’s Grumman E-2C Hawkeyes recently purchased.

Another victim of the cut back has been the RMAF base at Gong Kedah; this bases’ development has been considerably slowed down.

Despite budgetary restrictions, the RMAF has gained new equipment in a number of important areas. Two F-5s have been converted to RF-5Es, the ageing Tebuans have now been replaced with MB-339s, 44 PC-7 Pilatus have replaced Bulldog trainers, four Indonesian Nurtanio produced C-212 Aviocars are on order, 10 Nurtanio produced BO-105s are to be added to the rotary wing unit replacing Alouettes and a single King Air has entered service with the VIP/liaison squadron.

The RMAF took delivery of its first batch of six PC-7s in November 1982. The six aircraft were ferried out from Switzerland making stopovers in Greece, Crete, Egypt, Syria, Pakistan, India and Thailand- a remarkable flight by a trainer type. The ageing Tebuans have been on their ‘last legs’ and the remaining ten had been grounded due to leaks discovered in their fuel tanks. It has been suggested that the Tebuans when refurbished will go to the Air Force Reserve; they must however have very limited service life even with the reserves.

A significant improvement to the air intercept capabilities of the F-5Es will be made through the acquisition of Sidewinder AIM-9L AAMs. At present the F-5s are armed with the standard Sidewinder.

The RMN is also expanding its air wing. The navy will be operating four vessels capable of taking helicopters- two frigates produced in West Germany and two South Korean-manufactured support ships. The RMN has decided that the short-term assignment of RMAF helicopters and pilots to the fleet is unsatisfactory and so the first RMN pilots have begun training through RMAF facilities.

Another major change that has been suggested for the RMAF is that its Repair and Overhauling Depot be turned into a private sector facility. Success of similar moves in Singapore have inclined the Malaysian government to believe that such a move would greatly reduce the extent to which this facility relies on the public purse. AIROD has over 1000 staff. It seems likely that AIROD will end up as a commercial agency controlled by the government. It remains to be seen what capacity this facility has for outside work whilst the RMAF is busy assimilating its refurbished A-4s.

The purchase of refurbished A-4s is only an interim solution. The RMAF does want a new fighter for the twenty-first century. This acquisition is likely to be tied in with the acquisitions of other members of the Association of South East Asian Nations. The purchase of Nurtanio-produced aircraft reflects the Malaysian government’s desire to buy within the region. The decision as to Which fighter will fly with the RMAF by the year 2000 will most likely depend on what deal Singapore is able to arrange for Singaporean production of an overseas-designed fighter. Originally A-4 production was suggested but the Singaporean government is holding out for co-production of a more modern design. The outcome of these negotiations appears to hold the future of the RMAF’s front-line aircraft.

Thus the RMAF enters its twenty-sixth year of existence undergoing significant expansion yet being restricted by government budgetary restraints in other areas. The Royal Malaysian Air Force’s future development depends a great deal at present on external factors: the extent to which there is a Soviet air and navy build-up using Vietnamese facilities, Hanoi’s intentions in Kampuchea, the final decision in Canberra whether or not to totally withdraw RAAF aircraft from Butterworth, Singapore’s search for a co-production deal on a modern fighter, and the state of the world economy in general. Nevertheless it is clear that the Kuala Lumpur government takes very seriously its commitment to its own defence regardless of whatever alliances it has formed and will form in the future. This assessment by the Malaysian government that it is responsible for its own future assures the ultimate development of the RMAF into a modern front line air force.