SHAH ALAM: It appears that the first RMAF Mig-29 Fulcrum to be turn into a gate guard has left Kuantan airbase. A video on Facebook by Adam Johan dated January 4 showed tail number M43-06 being taken out from the base aircraft shelters and placed on a low-loader truck.
In the comments section, Adam said that the aircraft was being sent to the nearby Joint Force Command headquarters in Sungai Panching – some 5km away from the airbase. He also said other Fulcrum airframes will be sent out to other locations as well.
It is likely one airframe will be put up at Kuantan airbase as well as the aircraft was based there during its entire service with RMAF. The airbase also has two other gate guards (if I remember correctly) – a Tebuan located just inside the main gate and an F-5E near the main air movement terminal).
Talk is rife that one Fulcrum airframe will be installed as the Dataran Pahlawan in Putrajaya where other retired military vehicles, missiles and other stuff are put-up as gate guards. A Fulcrum airframe is also likely to be an exhibit at the RMAF museum at the Sendayan airbase. Do note that the museum has not been to the public just yet.
Interestingly, not a single Nuri is placed at Dataran Pahlawan even though arguably it is one of the most successful and significant military equipment since Merdeka. The Nuri, perhaps, do not look the part of a significant military item.
Like other military equipment and aircraft, both the Nuri and Fulcrum fleets were put to pasture without any formal ceremonies.
HT to EL.
–Malaysian Defence
View Comments (65)
Why not resell to India or Ukraine?
We need Russian permission to sell them. Of course we could ignore it but then what we going to do with our Flankers?
Melayu - ''Why not resell to India or Ukraine?''
We are non aligned; we don't take sides. Selling to the Ukraine means pissing off the Russians. As for India years ago it wanted the Fulcrums but now; as of 2024?
There are also A4 Skyhawk monument inside the Kuantan Airbase. That monument place called Dataran Skyhawk if Im not mistaken.
We missed the chance to sell to Ukraine when they needed Russki gear. Now they have transitioned to Western stuff (F16) so no longer interested anymore.
"what we going to do with our Flankers?"
Actually we could have proposed to sell the MKM as well with the Migs as a package in return for Uncle Sam to give us good terms for latest F16/F15/SH. Ukraine AF had used SU27 and the West could easily maintain the various Western parts we stuff inside that plane. As for displeasing Russia, we have no love lost after what they did to MH17.
Joe "Actually we could have proposed to sell the MKM as well with the Migs as a package in return for Uncle Sam to give us good terms for latest F16/F15/SH".
The trade & security relationship between us & Russia is negligible and like NK we can afford to pissed them Russian off provided uncle Sam pays us the right price. Though getting cheap 4.5gen fighter in a 5th gen world is not what I would called the right price.
From what I understand the MIG donations from Slovakia & Poland was symbolic in nature & more of a PR exercise. Those jet won't increased the number of jet flying in Ukrainian airspace but rather the most likely thing that happen is that the jet are being cannibalise for parts.
Thus technically speaking using the airframe as a gate guard afford us the opportunity to ship out her parts to Ukrainian quietly if we wanted too.
zaft - ''From what I understand the MIG donations from Slovakia & Poland was symbolic in nature & more of a PR exercise. ''
Nonsense... They were badly needed due to the high attrition rate with Ukrainian Fulcrums. It was not ''symbolic'' as you confidently but erroneously claim and you'd know it you looked it up before hitting the keyboard/pad.
zaft - '' rather the most likely thing that happen is that the jet are being cannibalise for parts.''
If you care to look it up; many Fulcrums which arrived from abroad were pressed into service and spares - lots of them - were also provided.
Azlan "as you confidently but erroneously claim and you’d know it you looked it up before hitting the keyboard/pad."..
Sure sure. Only information you get is true & valid others are not everyone else's are just inventing stuff from their head.
@Zaft
"MIG donations from Slovakia & Poland was symbolic in nature"
Symbolic or whatnot it doesnt matter to the giver. Poland are being given the latest Vipers and even more help until they ran out of cash (which likely will be helped by Uncle Sam too). Slovakian too are switching over to F16s so for both it was a really good deal which we could have participated too.
Joe - Poland 48 Vipers are the 50/52 Block, not the latest 70 Block version.
Block 50s are just one block before 70, easily upgradeable if needed.