Malaysian Air Force

Tentera Udara DiRaja Malaysia Royal Malaysian Air Force
Lineup	June 2, 1958
Country	Malaysia
Armed forces	Angkatan Tentera Malaysia
Type	Armed forces ( air forces )
structure	1st division 2nd division Training division Air Force Special Forces PASKAU
Strength	Active soldiers: 8,000
management
Chief of the Air Force	General Dato 'Rodzali bin Daud
Deputy Chief of the Air Force	Lieutenant General Dato 'Haji Shahron bin Ibrahim
insignia
Aircraft cockade
National emblem ( vertical stabilizer )
flag

The Royal Malaysian Air Force (malay .: Tentera Udara DiRaja Malaysia , TUDM ) is a branch of the Malaysian Armed Forces . They were founded on June 2, 1958, but the roots can be found in the Malayan Auxiliary Air Force in what was then the British colony of British Malaya . With a staff of 8,000, the TUDM is the smallest military force in Malaysia.

history

The Royal Air Force in what is now Malaysia

The history of military aviation in the former British Malaya and British North Borneo is shaped by the concentration of RAF stations in Singapore, which was a state of Malaysia until 1965 (see The Royal Air Force in Singapore ).

Air force members in front of the MiG-29, BAE Hawk and F / A-18

The RAF stations built before the Second World War in what is now Malaysia - some were only opened in the course of 1941 - had to be evacuated shortly after the Japanese invasion of Malaysia began , and flight operations only began after the war.

Shortly after the end of the war, the process of separating the British possessions in Southeast Asia from the mother country began, which in 1948 led to the establishment of the Malaya Federation . The RAF, later supported by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), was used from 1948 as part of the Malayan Emergency against guerrillas. In the course of the conflict, the RAF set up their first helicopter unit with the 194th Squadron in February 1953 . The squadron, initially equipped with Dragonfly and later Sycamore , was then in RAF Kuala Lumpur (today Simpang Airport). In Southeast Asia, which was still more densely forested at the time, the use of helicopters offered significant advantages over the previously used short-take-off aircraft and contributed significantly to the suppression of the guerrilla movement. The Malaysian Federation gained its independence in 1957, but the RAF operation lasted until 1960. The country remained allied with the United Kingdom.

The external security of the Malaya Federation continued to be ensured by the former mother country under the Anglo-Malayan Defense Agreement . Due to the threat to the young state from Indonesia , the British supported the federation's armed forces, which were still being established, between 1963 and 1966. The RAF was deployed on the Malay Peninsula as well as in the controversial North Borneo. The dispute sparked off when North Borneo joined the Federation in 1963, which has been called Malaysia since that time. In addition to liaison aircraft, helicopters, including the whirlwinds of the 230th Squadron , were also used. In addition, bombers operated from Singapore.

When most of the British armed forces withdrew from Asia in 1971, the defense agreement was replaced by the Five Power Defense Arrangements .

The Royal Malaysian Air Force

The Malayan Auxiliary Air Force , which was still under British rule , was transferred to the Royal Malayan Air Force (malay .: Tentera Udara Diraja Persekutuan ) on June 2, 1958 , which was the first to take over RAF Kuala Lumpur (Simpang Airport) from the RAF in 1960 . On September 16, 1963, the day the Malaysia Federation was founded, it was renamed the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) or Tentera Udara DiRaja Malaysia (TUDM). Many of the relatives from the early days were previously in the service of the RAF.

CAC Saber at Butterworth

In the early years, the TUDM / RMAF played a subordinate role in the conflicts described above; at that time it only had liaison aircraft and helicopters. After 1963, the first transport aircraft ( Herald and Caribou ) were put into service, and the first fighter aircraft , ten Sabers from Australian production, were acquired by the RAAF in 1969. They were stationed at RAAF Butterworth , a RAAF base between 1957 and 1988, but were decommissioned in 1972.

After the British withdrew in 1971, Australia helped secure Malaysia's airspace until 1983 with a Mirage IIIO squadron , which was also in RAAF Butterworth . The TUDM / RMAF itself received 16 F-5E Tiger-II (plus two reconnaissance aircraft Tigereye) and 88 A-4 Skyhawk in particular in the 1970s . These were later replaced by the combat aircraft that are still in service today.

Organization and leadership

TUDM's military commander-in-chief is General Rodzali Daud , his deputy Lieutenant General Shahron Ibrahim . The air force is divided into two divisions , with the 1st Division responsible for West and the 2nd Division for East Malaysia. The military airfields are located throughout the country, but mostly on the peninsula. The special unit Pasukan Khas Udara ( PASKAU ) is also part of the TUDM.

• 1st division
  • 2nd season: Fokker F28 Fellowship , Falcon 900 , Global Express , Boeing BBJ (737-700) - TUDM Subang
  • Season 3: Sikorsky S-61A4A Nuri - TUDM Butterworth
  • Season 6: BAE Hawk 108 / Hawk 208 - TUDM Kuantan
  • Season 10: Sikorsky S-61A4A Nuri - TUDM Kuala Lumpur
  • 12th season: Suchoi Su-30MKM Flanker - TUDM Gong Kedak (11th season until 2020)
  • Season 15: BAE Hawk 108 / Hawk 208 , Aermacchi MB-339AM - TUDM Butterworth
  • Season 16: Beech 200T - TUDM Subang
  • Season 18: McDonnell Douglas F / A-18D Hornet - TUDM Butterworth
  • 19th Season: MiG-29N / UB - TUDM Kuantan
  • Season 20: Lockheed C-130H / C-130T Hercules - TUDM Subang
  • Season 21: CASA CN-235 -200M - TUDM Subang
  • 22nd season: Airbus A400M - TUDM Subang

• 2nd division
  • 5th Season: Sikorsky S-61A4A Nuri - TUDM Labuan
  • 7th season: Sikorsky S-61A4A Nuri - TUDM Kuching
  • 14th Season: Lockheed C-130H Hercules - TUDM Labuan

• Training division
  • 1. FTC: PC-7, PC-7 Mk II - TUDM Alor Setar
  • 2. FTC: Alouette III - TUDM Alor Setar

equipment

Aircraft

Type	image	use	version	Number of pieces (active)	Number of pieces (total)	Remarks
Warplanes
Sukhoi Su-30MKM		Multipurpose fighter	Su-30MKM	18th	18th
McDonnell Douglas F / A-18		Multipurpose fighter	F / A-18D	8th	8th	Modernized in 2011.
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29		Interceptor	MiG-29N MiG-29NUB	10 2	12
BAE Hawk		Jet trainer	Mk.108 Mk.208	6th 14th	20th	Mk.208 are single-seat multi-purpose fighters Mk.108 are two-seat advanced trainers
Northrop F-5		Fighter plane , scout	F-5 Tiger II RF-5E Tigereye	16 2	18th	*
Transport aircraft / tankers
Airbus A400M		Transport plane	A400M	4th	4th	The four machines were delivered between March 2015 and March 2017.
Lockheed C-130 Hercules		Transport aircraft, tanker aircraft	C-130H C-130MP KC-130T	10 1 4th	15th	10 C-130H, 1 C-130MP and 4 KC-130T. C-130MP is a coastal surveillance variant and can be converted into a transporter. The four KC-130T are used for air refueling .
CASA CN-235		Transport aircraft, coastal surveillance	CN-235-220M-VIP CN-235-220M	8th	8th	Transporter for the 10th Paratrooper Brigade (PAC) and humanitarian aid missions
Beechcraft King Air		Coastal surveillance	B200T	4th	4th	Equipped with search radar and infrared vision device.
Cessna 402		Transport plane	402B	10	10
Boeing business jet		VIP transporter	BBJ1 (737-700)	1	1	For transporting members of the government
Bombardier Global Express		VIP transporter	BD700	1	1
Dassault Falcon 900		VIP transporter	900B	1	1
Airbus 319		VIP transporter	A319CJ	1	1
Fokker F28 Fellowship		VIP transporter	F28-1000	1	1
Training aircraft
Aermacchi MB-339		Advanced trainer, light fighter aircraft	MB-339AM MB-339CM	10 8th	18th	originally 16 in inventory, 6 casualties from crashes, replaced by 8 new MB-339CM. -
Pilatus PC-7		Trainer aircraft	PC-7 PC-7 Mk II	30th 17th	47
MD3-160 Aerotiga		Trainer aircraft		20th	20th
Aérospatiale Alouette III		School helicopter	SA-316B SA-319B	13	13	A total of 26 (excluding 7 SA-316Bs taken over by the Republic of Singapore Air Force in 1978/79, 10 surrendered to the Malaysian army aviation, 20 involved in accidents and emergency landings)
helicopter
Eurocopter EC 725		Transport helicopter , combat zone rescue	Great Cougar / Caracal	12	12
Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King		Transport helicopter, SAR tasks	S61A-4 Nuri	17th	17th	1 crashed on December 22, 2013. 12 handed over to the Malaysian army aviators, partially grounded since 2019
Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk		VIP transport helicopter Multipurpose helicopter	S-70 S-70A	2 (4)	6th	4 S-70A taken over by the Brunei Air Force . Armed with M134D Gatling cannon.
Agusta A109		Multipurpose helicopter	A109C	1	1
Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King		VIP transport helicopter	AS-61N1	2	2
Unmanned aerial vehicles
CTRM Aludra		Reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle	Mk.1 and Mk.2			Coastal surveillance at medium altitudes
Boeing ScanEagle		Unmanned aerial vehicle				Coastal surveillance
Eagle Aircraft 150		Unmanned aerial vehicle				Unmanned aerial vehicle for reconnaissance

Malaysian army aviators

Type	photo	use	version	number of pieces	Remarks
Agusta A109		Multipurpose helicopter	A109LOH	10	For monitoring tasks. A109LOH version with 20 mm cannon and / or missiles 1 lost in a crash.
Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King		Transport helicopter, SAR tasks	S61A-4 Nuri	12	12 from the Royal Malaysian Air Force

Malaysian Navy

→ Main article : Malaysian Navy

Type	image	use	version	number of pieces	Remarks
Westland Lynx		Submarine hunter	Super Lynx 300	6th	Equipped with 2 torpedoes or 4 MBDA Sea Skua anti-ship guided weapons, also suitable for remote combat.
Eurocopter Fennec		Maritime surveillance	AS 555SN	6th	can also be used for combat tasks

Former aircraft

image	Type	version	use	Remarks
	Bell 47	Bell 47G	Light surveillance helicopter
	Canadair CL-41	CL-41G Tebuan	Light fighter aircraft
	CAC Saber	Saber Mk.32	Fighter plane	ex-RAAF aircraft, delivered from 1969 to 1972
	de Havilland Canada DHC-4	DHC-4A	Medium transport aircraft
	Douglas A-4 Skyhawk	A-4PTM and TA-4PTM	Fighter plane	From US Navy surplus stocks. Originally supplied as A-4L (63 units) and A-4C (25 units), 40 of which were modernized by Grumman in the 1980s .
	Grumman HU-16 Albatross	HU-16B	Multipurpose aircraft
	Handley Page Dart Herald		Transport plane
	Hawker Siddeley HS125		VIP transporter
	Percival Provost	T51	Trainer aircraft
	Scottish Aviation Bulldog		Trainer aircraft
	Scottish Aviation Pioneer		Light transport aircraft
	Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer		Light transport aircraft
	Westland Wasp		Anti-submarine helicopter
	De Havilland DH.114 Heron		VIP transporter
	De Havilland DH.104 Dove		VIP transporter

Web links

Commons : Royal Malaysian Air Force  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Website of the Royal Malaysian Air Force in Bahasa Melayu
• Information about the RMAF on global security in English
• Royal Air Force website, History Section Chapter 4 (PDF; 718 kB), pages 13ff (203) and 26 (216)
• 194 Squadron on the RAF homepage
• 230 Squadron on the RAF homepage

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Dzirhan Mahadzir: Malaysia expects first A400M to achieve IOC in mid-2015. In: IHS Jane's 360. March 16, 2015, accessed June 29, 2015 . 
2. ↑ World Air Forces 2014. (PDF; 3.9 MB) In: Flightglobal Insight. 2014, archived from the original on December 25, 2013 ; accessed on March 26, 2014 (English). 
3. ↑ World Air Forces 2014. (PDF; 3.9 MB) In: Flightglobal Insight. 2014, archived from the original on December 25, 2013 ; accessed on March 26, 2014 (English). 
4. ↑ boeing.mediaroom.com
5. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} AMR Air Force Directory 2013 . Asian Military Review. Archived from the original on March 10, 2013.
6. ↑ Defense ministry Mulls RM30bil for new fighter jets
7. ↑ ^{a b c} asianmilitaryreview.com ( Memento from March 10, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
8. ↑ ^{a b} Selex Galileo to protect Malaysia's Hawk fleet . Flightglobal.
9. ^ Sayonara F-5, It Was Nice Knowing You. Archived from the original on March 21, 2015 ; accessed on March 23, 2020 . 
10. ↑ Hani Shamira Shahrudin: RMAF receives second A400M aircraft . New Straits Times . January 13, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
11. ↑ La Malaisie réceptionne son dernier A400M . March 13, 2017. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
12. ↑ World Air Forces 2014. (PDF; 3.9 MB) In: Flightglobal Insight. 2014, archived from the original on December 25, 2013 ; accessed on March 26, 2014 (English). 
13. ↑ milaviapress.com ( Memento from September 4, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
14. ↑ m.thestar.com.my ( Memento from March 27, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
15. ↑ m.thestar.com.my ( Memento from March 27, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
16. ↑ thestar.com.my
17. ↑ malaysiandefence.com ( Memento from March 22, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
18. ↑ malaysiandefence.com ( Memento from March 22, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
19. ↑ Marcel Burger: Brunei gives four Black Hawks as present to Malaysia . AIRheads. January 23, 2015. Accessed January 24, 2015.
20. ↑ malaysiandefence.com ( Memento from March 22, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
21. ↑ ctrm.com.my
22. ↑ Hands Over The First Malaysian A109LOH. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014 ; accessed on March 23, 2020 . 
23. ↑ Trade Registers . Armstrade.sipri.org.
24. ↑ m.thestar.com.my ( Memento from March 27, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
25. ↑ Lindsay Peacock: The air forces of the world. Bechtermünz, Augsburg 1998, ISBN 3-8289-5334-4 , pp. 112/113