SHAH ALAM: RMAF today took delivery of F/A-18D M45-07 after the completion of her Local Planned Maintenance 12 Years (LPM12Y) programme at the Butterworth airbase. She is the second Hornet to undergo the LPM12Y programme after tail number 01.
RMAF took delivery of 01 on January 5, last year. RMAF in its release stated that the work on 07 started on January 5, last year and was completed on April 15.
From the pictures of the ceremony, it is likely that at least another Hornet is undergoing the same programme though its tail number is unknown. As it takes a year to complete one aircraft, the depot level maintenance programme is likely to be completed within the next five years or so. This means that the Hornet fleet is expected to soldier on well beyond 2030.
As previously reported RMAF had planned to conduct the depot level maintenance of the Hornet in Australia, but it was cancelled due to the pandemic. In the release below, RMAF said rising costs was also one of the reasons for the decision to conduct the maintenance locally in 2021.
According to RMAF, the Butterworth airbase engineering branch and No 18 Squadron worked with Rosebank Engineering and local company, G7 Global Aerospace to conduct the depot level maintenance.
Malaysian Defence was told that some of the aircraft components including those off the Hornets were also repaired in Australia, likely, at one of the Rosebank Engineering facilities.
The release from RMAF:
ππππππ πππππ ππππππ πππππππ π /π-πππ πππ-ππ ππππ ππππ πππππππππ πππππππππππππππ ππ πππππ πππππππ πππ-πππ
BUTTERWORTH, 29 April 2024 β Panglima Tentera Udara, Jeneral Tan Sri Datoβ Sri Mohd Asghar Khan bin Goriman Khan TUDM telah hadir menyaksikan Majlis Serah Terima Pesawat F/A-18D M45-07 yang siap menjalani penyelenggaraan Local Planned Maintenance 12 Years (LPM12Y) oleh Syarikat Rosebank Engineeering. Majlis yang diadakan di Hangar Hornet Readiness Center (HRC), Pangkalan Udara Butterworth pada hari ini telah melibatkan penyerahan pesawat daripada pihak Rosebank Engineering yang diwakili oleh Senior Maintenance Manager, Mr Joshua Robinson kepada Leftenan Kolonel Muhd Faizal bin Ab Rahim TUDM, Pegawai Memerintah No 18 Skuadron.
LPM-12Y merupakan senggaran peringkat Depot Level Maintenance (DLM) bagi pesawat F/A-18D yang telah dijalankan di dalam negara sejak tahun 2021. M45-07 merupakan pesawat kedua yang telah selesai senggaraan yang bermula dari 5 Jan 2023 sehingga 15 April 2024. Penyelengaraan ini melibatkan pemeriksaan menyeluruh terhadap struktur pesawat, penilaian kerosakan dan baik pulih kerosakan struktur yang disebabkan haus dan lusuh atau kemerosotan material ke atas pesawat akibat faktor persekitaran dan pengeporasian pesawat.
Secara amnya, pesawat F/A-18D ini perlu menjalani penyelenggaraan di luar negara. Namun atas usahasama erat antara TUDM dengan pemain industri aeroangkasa dalam dan luar negara, iaitu G7 Global Aerospace (G7GA) dan Rosebank Engineering, senggaraan tersebut berjaya dilaksanakan buat kali kedua di dalam negara. Kejayaan ini adalah satu pencapaian yang sangat membanggakan dan peningkatan kepakaran senggaraan oleh kejuruteraan aeroangkasa tempatan.
β Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (31)
Finland is going to retire its hornet fleet starting this year
So, RMAF start your engine
I think the Finnish F/A 18s might be earmarked for Ukraine.
The Finnish Hornets are for the lack of better word, well worn, and their last SLEP was back in 2016 so even if the airframes can take it, their systems are well enough obsoleted by the time these gets retired.
And speaking of retirement, their president scoffed at transferring to Ukraine anytime soon. Its likely they will use up Hornets airframe lifespan while waiting the F35s.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/finnish-president-rules-out-transfer-of-hornet-fighter-jets-to-ukraine-before-arrival-of-new-aircraft/2888512
Marhalim, if I understand correctly this LPM12Y is a SLEP for the Hornets so meaning no need send to Aus for it as was earmarked?
And from the program title, it means the planes each will be able to fly for another 12 years after their out from the workshop? So est they will keep flying until circa 2035-2040(last jet out of SLEP)?
Yes but some parts as I mentioned in the story are still sent to Oz for work, ie the engines and others.
Yes thats the plan on their draw down.
Looks like they changed the color from dark gray to light gray. I wonder what's the reason.
It depends, the Hornets used to have two shades of grey, the lighter one is the jets optimised air to air while the darker grey for air to ground role.
One hornet per year....meaning another 6 years to go to have all done.
If that is the drawdown plan, our MRCA plans could be
RMK14 2031-2035
Batch 1 MRCA - 12x KF-21MY (USD1 billion) - 9 Skuadron TUDM Butterworth
RMK15 2036-2040
Batch 2 MRCA - 12x KF-21MY (USD1 billion) - 18 Skuadron TUDM Butterworth (replacing F/A-18D Hornets)
From latest info the current plan for LCA
RMK12 2021-2025
batch 1 LCA - 18x FA-50M (USD0.92 billion) - 17 Skuadron TUDM Kuantan (Yes the original plan for this squadron to be intrim MRCA has changed to be 1st LCA). 1st aircraft due 2026.
RMK13 2026-2030
Batch 2 LCA/FLIT - 18x FA-50M (USD??? billion) - 6 Skuadron TUDM Labuan (LCA) and 3FTC TUDM Kuantan (FLIT) (3FTC designation remain or change to ?? Skuadron?). Each squadron will have around 12 FA-50M.
If possible, additional FA-50 in batch 2 so that it is possible to stand up 19 Skuadron (smokey bandits) as aggressor/flight display team. Or some free ex-ROKAF F-5F as offset to FA-50 buy also can.
The hell do you want F-5F?
Hulubalang,
No, not the Boramae! This armchair General prefers the KAAN purely for the fact it looks better..
@ dundun
" The hell do you want F-5F? "
If we can get it by 2026
- for intrim FLIT (Batch 2 would only be received by around 2028/2029 probably)
- agressor
- flight display
That is as i say, if we cannot get additional FA-50 for the above tasks. 36 FA-50 planned buy would barely be enough for 3 Squadrons (17Skn, 6Skn, 3FTC), not 4 (add 19Skn). Just a thought. F-5s are cheap to fly, and if we cannibalise our existing F-5 (we had more than 2 dozen in all) for spares + additional christmas trees from ROKAF, we could fly them 10-20 yrs no issues.
@ tomtom
KF-21 is the most logical platform that we can afford to buy and fly. Yes of course everyone wants F-35, including me, but i don't think we can afford/allowed to buy it.
KAAN? it is bigger than the F-15. Can we afford to fly that? Lets see if the KAAN matures into a usable fighter. Maybe we can leverage its technology (like AESA radar) for MKM upgrade in 2035 or whereabouts.