SHAH ALAM: Two days ago, Malaysian Defence reported that the MACC was investigating the FLIT/LCA
tender process over alleged impropriety and that a caretaker government has no right to negotiate contracts. And it appears that the negotiations, were not limited to the FLIT/LCA tender but also for both the MPA and MALE-UAS programmes, it was learnt.
On October 9, Senior Minister for Defence, DS Hishammuddin Hussein, tweeted that the Government had agreed to offers for the MPA and MALE-UAS programmes.
The Parliament was dissolved 24 hours later, prompting many observers to suggest that the Minister’s tweet was politically motivated. The following day (October 11), Malaysian Defence reported that the Ministry of Defence had initiated negotiations with Leonardo to buy the world’s slowest
MPA.
Contacts within the MPA Technical Committee have confirmed that a Letter of Agreement (LOA) was negotiated between October 11 and October 25 while parliament was dissolved. It will be most interesting to see who signed the LOA.
As Malaysian Defence reported at the time, the selected MPA has a maximum speed that does not meet the minimum requirements and is slower than the RMAF’s current MPA’s. Malaysian Defence has learnt that during the period of the MPA negotiations were taking place, Leonardo’s own government, Italy, put its fleet of ATR MPA’s on the market for $10M per aircraft. This is highly unusual. Does it has something to do with the speed of the ATR?
Irrespective of the outcome of the MACC’s investigations, we need to hold our next government to a much higher standard. The expectation is that the next government will scrutinize the decisions of the shenanigans of the old government especially on defence matters. Upon swearing in, our new parliament should immediately cancel all LOA’s; LOIs and contracts, cease any and all ongoing negotiations, and initiate a formal review of the FLIT/LCA, MPA and MALE-UAS programmes.
There was a time when I hoped that the transparency that had been prompted by the LCS scandal would ensure that the decision makers at the defence and finance ministries were focused on the most
optimum use of taxpayer money. Watching the old guard stumble from one scandal to another
does little for one’s confidence.
— Malaysian Defence
View Comments (25)
Pemilihan MPA ATR 72 pun selesai mengikut spesifikasi TUDM disebabkan pesawat ini tak perlu laju..sistem mission management pun mmg sgt canggih..sparepart pun senang carik..sebab airline kita banyak pakai ATR..TUDM akan hantar pilot2 ke itali bulan februari tahun depan 2023..ATR 72 MPA mmg dah sgt ikut spesifikasi TUDM
Berkenaan dengan Anka pula..pun sama ikut spesifikasi TUDM..TUDM sgt berpuas hati..
Kedua-dua perkara ini telah pun dah beri LOA kepada OEM sebelum parlimen dissolved..
Semua perkara ni saya diberitahu oleh abang ipar saya yang bekerja dengan TUDM dan dia salah seorang yang akan ke itali..
Berkenaan ttg pemilihan FLIT-LCA..pihak TUDM sebagai end user telah memilih FA-50 block 20 korea utk LCA kita..spesifikasi dan enjin sama macam FA-18 Hornet kita..missile2 yang ada dlm inventory TUDM pun boleh dipasangkan pada Fa-50 ini..TUDM technical dan pilot sangat berpuas hati dengan Fa-50..
Disebabkan oleh satu petender/bidder ni x puas hati..so beliau report ke SPRM..biasalah siapa x nak tender berbiliion kan..mesti ada yang x puas hati kenapa x dia dapat..tapi final report kata dlm report teknikal..TUDM pilih Fa-50 korea..full stop..
Sekarang hanya tunggu keputusan Kementerian Kewangan..
I'm sure that RMAF would be much happier with predators b then Anka. Predators come out of the boxes with ASW capabilities while as mentioned by the last dep menhan, those capabilities would only be available for the anka next RMK
But the Turks lower price point & commitment to build it here would solve the future potential political interference for a 'reset' allowing it to acquired more UAV in future RMK giving them the numbers & asset rationalisation they need while also contributing the the nation economy, employment & industry.
RMAF are going for a win-win rather my way or the highway zero sum games.
Predators are way too expensive
Marhalim - "The Parliament was dissolved 24 hours later, prompting many observers to suggest that the Minister’s tweet was politically motivated"
I don't understand what Hishamuddin could have gained politically. Rare would have been a voter who would have voted based on the government's handling of defence issues. As it is throughout the campaigning period defence was hardly even mentioned by any one side for the reason that it doesn't resonate with the average voter.
Marhalim - " Upon swearing in, our new parliament should immediately cancel all LOA’s; LOIs and contracts, cease any and all ongoing negotiations, and initiate a formal review of the FLIT/LCA, MPA and MALE-UAS programmes"
Yes but the problem is that defence won't be a priority. Together with the usual bureaucratic process which moves at a snails place; the government will have other priorities.
If any BN people occupy senior positions aperhaps part of a unity government perhaps things might move faster than it would if it was a cabinet of totally new faces. As a journalist [he knows you personally from the Malay Mail days] told me; it's not totally inconceivable that Hishammudin might return if BN teams up with PH.
Will a PH government try to fix the big mess which is our defence policy and will Anwar see the value in buying more American stuff? Or will it be politically expedient to stay the course with regards to national national interests and spoon feeding the industry at the expense of the armed services and taxpayer - after all the defence has long been part of the system of patronage.
Marhalim, kalau kapal terbang MPA nak pergi ronda-ronda, saya ingat kelajuan maximum tak penting, IMHO. The CN 295 has about the same speed too. If they are to be based in Kuantan, they are right by the South China Sea already.
I don't think we are going to see several more rounds of 'investigations of impropriety' for the MALE UAV, MPA and FLIT/LCA buys. It has consumed too much effort on the part of the government and the expectations of the public is high. Better not dent it to appease some dumb accountant type from PH or PN!
If Italy is selling theirs for just $10million per aircraft, and if it really meets the requirements of RMAF, why not just get those instead? Why need to buy new? This is MB339 2.0 waiting to happen.
ANKA? seriously why anyone even interested in this except if it is due to political interest? Everybody and their grandmother is going to Bayraktar and malaysia are the only few that is interested on the ANKA.
Also please take a look at the 155mm SPH direct nego directive.
Speed is not the main issue with maritime. Infact holding pattern speed is also a requirement they require an aircraft able to do holding pattern at 140knots to do surveillance. Another is commonality with existing vendors.
The ATR-72 is already in use by MASWings Firefly Malindo infact some of tech crew on those airlines are even ex RMAF. Another thing needed to note the q400 is quicker, agile and tougher but that aircrafts fuel burn rivals the King Air support side from Bombardier and now likely Dehaviland for ASEAN is rather lackluster. MAS own internal study for the fokker 50 replacement finds the operation cost of the q400 to be nearly identical the b737-400 the Atr72 was chosen in the end in 2005.
If cost is not an issue the q400 can be considered. The newer King air with maritime configuration installed is notorious for CG imbalance that provides a minor nuisance to the pilots.
Zaft - "Predators come out of the boxes with ASW capabilities while as mentioned by the last dep menhan, those capabilities would only be available for the anka next RMK;
He referred to EW payloads not ASW capabilities. BTW we were offered the Sea Guardian which is a Reaper variant. We never exceeded an interest or were offered Predator. I
Kakadu - "Everybody and their grandmother is going to Bayraktar and malaysia are the only few that is interested on the ANKA"
The "everybody and their grandmother"
have/had a requirement for a tacticsl/operational level strike UAS; we have a requirement for a UAS to perform ISR - two different things for different requirements. Look it up.
The TBs does not have the lift capacity to carry the payloads needed for ISR and if you look at Turkish operations in Syria: both complement not do away with the need for each other - Anka detecting the targets and passing the info to the TB2 for the targets to be striked.
@kakadu
ASW operations is a multi platform operations utilizing surface, subsurface & air (both helo & plane) either to sunk an enemies submarine or create an invisible wall so the submarine can't perform it intended objective. TB2 is too small to install a ASW equipment.
If the objective is observation & target acquisition then TB2 unlike the Anka do not have radar, relying on visual for target acquisition. Ship aren't tank. It's a floating mobile fort with capable AD system. It's unlikely you are going to sink it with a small Lazer guides missiles carried by slow, non stealth UAV.
TB2 is more or less an unmanned version of a super tucano. It can do what a super tucano could do and wouldn't be able to do what a super tucano couldn't.
Personally if we ever get a tb2 it would likely to perform border surveillance operations