* I always found the Malaysian Air Force interesting because with the Flanker already in there inventory they have three front line fighters very rare for one air force. Su-30 MKM, (16/15) Mig-29N, and I think only 8, F/A-18D fighters plus older F-5s and two types of Hawk trainers, all under one roof. Another different item on these special Flankers are there are French targeting pods and South African missiles warning device/equipment all on one bird, in place of the Israeli made equipment used on the MKI Flankers that India order in which the MKM models are built off of. From what I've read from a few different sites that these are high end Flankers. If they had 90 of them with good trained crews and AWACS you would take notice of them if your were in the area.
Malaysian Flankers poised to be operational by year-end
By Nigel Pittaway
February 19, 2008
Aircraft
The ninth Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace (LIMA) show, held in December, gave the Malaysian air force the opportunity to showcase its newly received Sukhoi Su-30MKM fighters. Three of the six Su-30s delivered to date were on display at the show and one, flown by a Malaysian crew, participated in the daily flying routine.
The first two aircraft were handed over last May 24 at the Irkut Corp. plant in Irkutsk and were transported to Malaysia aboard an Antonov An-124, arriving at their Gong Kedak air base home on June 18. Four more arrived in August and two more batches of six each are to follow later this year, with deliveries to be complete by year-end. The government of Malaysia signed the RM3.4 billion ($900 million) contract in May 2003 with Rosoboronexport, the Russian defense exporter, for 18 multi-role Su-30MKM aircraft to be built by Irkut.
Gong Kedak in Terengganu, Kelentan Province, is on Malaysia’s east coast, about 190 miles northeast of Kuala Lumpur. It has undergone extensive capital improvements to receive the Sukhois, all 18 of which will be consolidated within the newly re-formed No. 11 Squadron under the command of C.O. Kol Suri Mohd Daud.
As the Su-30MKM is a multi-role aircraft, operated by a pilot and weapons system operator (WSO), initial crews have come from the Boeing F/A-18D Hornets of No. 18 Squadron based at Butterworth Air Force Base in Penang, each with a minimum of 300 hours on type. Six crews initially trained on Sukhoi Su-30MK2s in Russia and follow-on training was carried out at Gong Kedak. Sukhoi is contracted to perform initial training at both locations, and product support in-country.
The training is divided into three stages, taking approximately six months from start to finish. For the first candidates this was split almost evenly between Moscow and Gong Kedak. This initial cadre has completed the first two stages of the training syllabus, comprising both theoretical and practical applications. The practical phase was completed at the beginning of last October and the third phase, including basic weapons training, is to get under way early this year. Full weapons training will follow throughout the year and the No. 11 Squadron expects to be declared operational at the end of the year, coinciding with the final deliveries of the aircraft.
The initial six pilots will form the cadre of qualified flying instructors (QFIs) within the No. 11 Squadron, and four of them–divided into two crews–took turns performing the spirited and impressive flying display at LIMA.
In the 1990s, when Malaysia purchased 18 MiG-29Ns, the government set up a company–Aerospace Technology Systems Corp. Sdn Bhd (ATSC)–to provide local through-life support. ATSC will also provide support for the Su-30s at Gong Kedak thanks to a product support agreement signed with Russian arms export agency Rosoboronexport during the LIMA show.
The Su-30MKM (MKM: Modernizirovannyi Kommercheskiy Malaysia–Modernized Commercial Malaysia) is very similar to the Indian Su-30MKI aircraft, but with Israeli-supplied components replaced by similar items from other manufacturers because of political sensitivities.
The Su-30MKM uses the same airframe structure, Saturn AL-31FP Thrust Vector Control engines and NIIP N011M Bars radar as the Indian fighters, but manufacturers in France, Russia and South Africa provide much of its avionics and electronic warfare equipment. Thales supplies the wide-angle head-up display and, according to Sukhoi, the functions remain the same as the Israeli Elbit unit in the Su-30MKI. Thales also supplies the Damocles targeting pod and IFF system.
Full story
http://www.ainonline.com/news/singl...onal-by-year-end/?no_cache=1&cHash=15c27fb9df
Malaysian Flankers poised to be operational by year-end
By Nigel Pittaway
February 19, 2008
Aircraft
The ninth Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace (LIMA) show, held in December, gave the Malaysian air force the opportunity to showcase its newly received Sukhoi Su-30MKM fighters. Three of the six Su-30s delivered to date were on display at the show and one, flown by a Malaysian crew, participated in the daily flying routine.
The first two aircraft were handed over last May 24 at the Irkut Corp. plant in Irkutsk and were transported to Malaysia aboard an Antonov An-124, arriving at their Gong Kedak air base home on June 18. Four more arrived in August and two more batches of six each are to follow later this year, with deliveries to be complete by year-end. The government of Malaysia signed the RM3.4 billion ($900 million) contract in May 2003 with Rosoboronexport, the Russian defense exporter, for 18 multi-role Su-30MKM aircraft to be built by Irkut.
Gong Kedak in Terengganu, Kelentan Province, is on Malaysia’s east coast, about 190 miles northeast of Kuala Lumpur. It has undergone extensive capital improvements to receive the Sukhois, all 18 of which will be consolidated within the newly re-formed No. 11 Squadron under the command of C.O. Kol Suri Mohd Daud.
As the Su-30MKM is a multi-role aircraft, operated by a pilot and weapons system operator (WSO), initial crews have come from the Boeing F/A-18D Hornets of No. 18 Squadron based at Butterworth Air Force Base in Penang, each with a minimum of 300 hours on type. Six crews initially trained on Sukhoi Su-30MK2s in Russia and follow-on training was carried out at Gong Kedak. Sukhoi is contracted to perform initial training at both locations, and product support in-country.
The training is divided into three stages, taking approximately six months from start to finish. For the first candidates this was split almost evenly between Moscow and Gong Kedak. This initial cadre has completed the first two stages of the training syllabus, comprising both theoretical and practical applications. The practical phase was completed at the beginning of last October and the third phase, including basic weapons training, is to get under way early this year. Full weapons training will follow throughout the year and the No. 11 Squadron expects to be declared operational at the end of the year, coinciding with the final deliveries of the aircraft.
The initial six pilots will form the cadre of qualified flying instructors (QFIs) within the No. 11 Squadron, and four of them–divided into two crews–took turns performing the spirited and impressive flying display at LIMA.
In the 1990s, when Malaysia purchased 18 MiG-29Ns, the government set up a company–Aerospace Technology Systems Corp. Sdn Bhd (ATSC)–to provide local through-life support. ATSC will also provide support for the Su-30s at Gong Kedak thanks to a product support agreement signed with Russian arms export agency Rosoboronexport during the LIMA show.
The Su-30MKM (MKM: Modernizirovannyi Kommercheskiy Malaysia–Modernized Commercial Malaysia) is very similar to the Indian Su-30MKI aircraft, but with Israeli-supplied components replaced by similar items from other manufacturers because of political sensitivities.
The Su-30MKM uses the same airframe structure, Saturn AL-31FP Thrust Vector Control engines and NIIP N011M Bars radar as the Indian fighters, but manufacturers in France, Russia and South Africa provide much of its avionics and electronic warfare equipment. Thales supplies the wide-angle head-up display and, according to Sukhoi, the functions remain the same as the Israeli Elbit unit in the Su-30MKI. Thales also supplies the Damocles targeting pod and IFF system.
Full story
http://www.ainonline.com/news/singl...onal-by-year-end/?no_cache=1&cHash=15c27fb9df
