There were plans a few years ago to get ex-RN Sea Harriers – part payment would have been with frozen shrimps – but it fell through. IIRC correctly the RTN received a number of engines for its Matadors, courtesy of the U.S. government. It was mentioned in AFM a few years ago that the RTN’s fleet of A-7s have also been grounded.

Hi,

thanks for many high-quality posts on this thread.

In general I agree to what you say above however one critital assumption would be that the Gripen NG actually meet the requirements. After all, Rafale and Typhoon are larger than the Gripen; yes they are significantly more expensive but also more capable in some areas, in particular when it comes to payload and endurance. The question then becomes: will Gripen meet the requirements of the Malaysian Air Force? It met the requirements of e.g. the Swiss and Swedish air forces, but it did not meet the requirements of the Indian air force (it seems).

The RMAF may not have a choice, if funds are not allocated for something else the Gripen may be all that it can afford.

Given that the RMAF already has engine/2 seat Hornets and Flankers, perhaps a single engine lightweight fighter may be the best option.

If i understand this correctly, they are looking for a replacement of MiG-29 which is used exclusively for A2A, and a replacement for F-5.

Indeed, the new MRCA is intended to replace the MiG-29s and the F-5s.

Well, in hindsight it would have been probably the best solution to get F-18E/F as the heavy part of the airforce and later Gripen NG (sharing the same engine) as replacement for MiG-29 and F-5. I know there is a proposal on the table to lease some C-model Gripen now. Is this intended as some kind of bridge to Gripen NG or are used C-models acceptable as permanent solution ? Maybe South African ones or upgraded A/B models from Swedish depots ?

Not sure about the present details of Saabs offer as it stands now but in the past, Saab did indicate that the RMAF could lease a squadron’s worth of ‘C’s and later order – when cash was allocated – newly built ‘NGs’. Given all the excitement that the Rafale and the Typhoon offer has generated, people tend to forget that the Gripen entered the scene way before the Rafale and the Typhoon. It has been offered as a cheaper solution – not only to buy but also to operate and support in the long term – that can do the job just as well as its more expensive twin engine and ubder sexy competitors.

Umm, except one thing.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]219868[/ATTACH]

That’s right …. Malaysia’s main security challenge and its main cause of concern is not any of its immediate neighbours but its ongoing dispute in the Spratlys.

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/why-malaysia-isnt-afraid-of-china-for-now/

http://cjip.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2013/04/25/cjip.pot006.full

At this point on, I’m just going to totally ignore him [I should have done that earlier]. As far as I’m concerned, he’s just trolling.