MPA Requirements, Part 3

MMEA 415MP M71-02 at LIMA 17.

SHAH ALAM: In this post, we will talk about the MPA requirements for the coast guard aka the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).

As the MMEA requirements called for a dedicated manned patroller capability for border patrol, fishery control, anti-smuggling and anti-piracy duties, the platform itself is called the Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA).

MPA Requirements, Part 1.

MPA Requirements, Part 2.

MMEA 415MP M71-02 demonstrates its water bombing capability at LIMA 17.

MMEA as you well aware already operate a number of non-dedicated MSAs including two Bombardier 415MP amphibians. The MP stands for multi-purpose hence both are not dedicated MSA.

From Bombardier release in 2008

A variant of the rugged Bombardier 415 amphibious aircraft, the only aircraft specifically designed for aerial firefighting, the two Bombardier 415MP will be modified with maritime surveillance capabilities to meet the specialised needs of the MMEA. As such, the two Bombardier 415MP aircraft will be equipped with a state-of-the-art surveillance suite that includes two side-looking airborne radars, one forward-looking infrared radar, an airborne maritime surveillance system and other avionics and communications equipment

MMEA Bombardier CL-415 M71-01 conducting water landing near NorthPort, Port Klang on July 15, 2016.

Despite the superlatives, it is obvious to everyone that the two aircraft and the other five helicopters – three Dauphins and three AW139s – which are also tasked with maritime surveillance duties, are not enough to patrol the country maritime area of responsibility, which stretches from the Andaman to the Sulu seas. Yes, its longer from the refrain oftly repeated in the Malaysia Berjaya song.

One of the three PDRM Super King Air 350 fitted with the ISR equipment, 9M-PTE.

Apart from the MMEA, the police also operate three Beechcraft Super King Air 350is fitted with ISR equipment. However, it is not known what kind of missions they are supposed to perform. These King Airs could easily perform the same missions as the MSA but it’s more likely the police would used them for specialised ISR missions instead of routine maritime surveillance duties.

Viking Air Special Mission Twin Otter 400.

It is for this reason, a new fleet of MSA is being sought. I have not learnt the numbers needed but based on the platforms being marketed we could guess the preferred capabilities. From conversations with industry sources, the platform will be a twin engine aircraft with an endurance of at least six hours. No cheap, single engine aircraft then, which is a pity.

Cessna Caravan outfitted for ISR duties. Both the Caravan and Grand Caravan have been outfittted for ISR duries. Textron

It must be equipped, at minimum, with a radar, an electro optical device and a data link so the information it gathered could be sent real time to the MMEA command centre. The aircraft mentioned in the earlier posting are perfectly suitable for the MSA requirement though a cheaper platform is preferred for the role, I am told.

The operator console of a King Air 350 ISR. Textron.

At LIMA 17, RUAG Malaysia hinted that it had clinched a deal to supply the Dorneir DO 228 NG for a maritime surveillance contract. However the company did not want to explain further about the contract nor the agency.

Finnish Border Guard Dornier 228 maritime patroller.

So far, I have not gotten any confirmation of any contract or LOI for the 228NG. That said the Malaysian partners of RUAG Malaysia has secured several deals in the past which were never confirmed publicly. So I guess we will have to wait further to see whether or not the 228NG has been selected for the MSA requirement.

The operator console on a Dornier 228 patroller.

The industry is also not perturbed by the supposed-RUAG deal, as they have lined up a number of aircraft for the MSA requirement. The aircraft are the Piaggio Aerospace MPA, Viking Air Twin Otter 400, Beechcraft Super King Air 350i and the Diamond DA42 MPP Guardian.

A CGI of the Piaggio MPA, multi role patrol aircraft.

It is likely that all four are offered for an outright buy and also a leasing solution using either the company, owned, company operated (COCO) or the company owned, military operated (COMO) concept. The leasing solution as I mentioned previously was the plan for the MMEA when the agency was being conceptualised.

Daimond DA42 MPP

These planners realised the government cannot afford to pay for a fleet of aircraft when the agency also need a large number of ships and patrol boats to cover its AOR.

MPA Requirements, Part 1

MPA Requirements, PArt 2

–Malaysian Defence

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About Marhalim Abas 2333 Articles
Shah Alam

6 Comments

  1. Bizarre, why would the PDRM operate 3 Super King Airs for ISR? These could be amalgamated with the RMAF’s (and modified if needed) to form a combined MPA/MSA unit, and PDRM can use an unmanned option like the Thales or Patroller.

    Would’t that be logical?

    Reply
    More logical if they don’t any operate any ISR assets

  2. If I recall correctly in one of Marhalim’s earlier articles on PDRM’s Beechcraft, they apparently own 5 King Airs, 3 configured to triangulate the position of mobile phone calls, whilst 2 are for liason/VIP flights.

    Reply
    Not just to detect phone calls it is fitted with a radar and a FLIR turret

  3. If just to triangulate EM spectrum and direction finding, better opt for ELINT/ECM/ESM suite rather than ISR.

    Wonder how PDRM justify their need for an airborne ISR.

  4. nimitz,

    Given the governments’s priority being internal security and threats from non state actors; granting allocation for the police to have ISR assets is not surprising.

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