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Sunday, April 04, 2021

Mahathir Claims American Fighters Are Only Useful for Airshows

Military Watch:

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Claims American Fighters Are Only Useful for Airshows - Why F-18s Can’t Fight Without Washington’s Permission


In an interview with Qatari news outlet Al Jazeera, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad provided insight into his country’s experience operating American manufactured F-18 Hornet fighter jets and the considerable limitations imposed on operations by Washington.



Prime Minister Mahathir (right) and Malaysian Air Force F-18D Hornet (left)

The Royal Malaysian Air Force currently operates three classes of fighter, including the high end heavyweight Russian Su-30MKM as its most modern platform and small numbers of older medium weight F-18 and MiG-29 platforms. Mahathir noted regarding the terms imposed by the U.S. on clients for its fighter aircraft that the source codes for the jets were not provided, meaning: “we cannot program the plane for any attacks against other countries without getting the programming done by Americans. So although the planes are very good, in terms of performance very powerful engines, but we cannot program the plane by ourselves. You have to refer to the United States for putting the program for any raid on foreign countries for example. So our planes were costly. We have them. We can fly them at airshows. But we cannot use them to fight any other country because we don’t get the source code.”


F-18 Medium Fighter

Mahathir further elaborated: “The way they treated Malaysia as a buyer of the F-18, we find that the planes are only good for airshows. But we cannot program it for, say, attacks against other countries or for any other use. That is the experience of Malaysia. But I suspect that other countries also did not get the source codes… the planes are not really a weapon that you can control. The control is with the Americans.” 

He noted that European states may be provided with source codes, but indicated that few non-Western states would, and that even munitions for the F-18s could not be purchased to update the aircraft without approval from the U.S. government. The interviewer thus concluded that clients for F-16 of F-18 fighters “can only use them against targets designated by the United States, not targets that they themselves would like to hit.”


Su-57 and MiG-35 Next Generation Fighters

Mahathir’s statement has considerable implications given that Malaysia is currently considering purchasing a new generation of fighter jets to replace its F-18, MiG-29 and possibly even the Su-30. Kuala Lumpur has previously indicated an
interest in the Russian MiG-35 and Su-57 next generation medium and heavyweight fighters, and Russia has offered to purchase its MiG-29s second hand to help offset the cost of a MiG-35 purchase.

The Su-57 is likely to replace the Su-30MKM in future, although given the older platform’s still viable capabilities there is less of an urgent need to make such a purchase. While other countries operating the F-18 have sought to replace them either with the F-18E Super Hornet or the F-35A Lightning II platforms, the Prime Minister’s account of Malaysia’s experience with the Hornet indicates that future purchases of American fighters are unlikely.

The F-18 could instead be replaced by more MiG-35 fighters, which are from the same weight range but have a lower operational cost and superior combat performance across the spectrum. Unlike U.S. aircraft, Russian fighters do not have similar restrictions on their use meaning countries can deploy them far more freely without political dependance on Moscow.

*********

kt notes:

In this case, Atuk was correct. The US likes to CONTROL those who buy her planes and ships. A number of customer-nations have felt the domineering intrusive interfering action of the American authorities, determining who they could attack with the military hardware purchased from the US - effectively politico-military control.

BTW, note that article was dated 20 May 2020, wakakaka.



19 comments:

  1. No problem, now can buy latest J20 jet fighters from Ahia(DaGe)-Land.....they use only Huawei chips and code....open source, no need special password. Cheap cheap some more.

    But cannot attack Ahia-Land military installations in the Southern Seas OK?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bolihland buying China fighter?

      Wakakakakaka…

      Get those ketuanan meme-ed giattunas to read Chinese characters first lah. Otherwise, it would be worst than buying Yankee plane w/o the necessary programing codes!

      Delete
    2. QUOTE
      Malaysia receives second littoral mission ship from China
      FMT Reporters -January 14, 2021

      PETALING JAYA: The Royal Malaysian Navy has announced that it received the second littoral mission ship (LMS) from China today.

      The vessel, which has been named Sundang, is the second of four LMSs under a contract signed between Putrajaya and the China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co Ltd in 2017.

      In a statement, the navy’s strategic communications branch said the ship will sail to Malaysia in the third week of this month and will be commissioned at the navy’s Kota Kinabalu base on a later date.

      “A committee of three government representatives, led by Abdul Hadi Tan Abdullah, the head of the navy’s LMS project, has checked the vessel’s documents, physical tests and went on a demonstration of its abilities,” it said.

      “Sundang has successfully passed several tests in port and on the sea before being handed over to the government.”

      The construction of the Sundang began on Oct 23, 2018, in Wuhan, China, and the vessel was launched on July 12, 2019. Putrajaya was scheduled to receive the vessel on April 12 last year, but construction work was postponed until January due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

      The project was reactivated on May 18, 2020 and designated crew members of Sundang were sent to Qidong, Shanghai, on Oct 16 to resume work on the ship.

      The remaining two vessels will be handed over in September and November this year.
      UNQUOTE

      Delete
    3. Blurred mfer, aunt it better than what Amin shah or Boustead had promised to delivered?

      Fair price & on time delivery!

      But do u care?

      Delete
  2. If not for air-shows then for what?

    Which country has Malaysia ever attacked with any aircraft?

    Not even Ahia-Land military installations in Malaysian territorial seas.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mahathir's decision to buy MIG-29 and SU30MKM have been much, much worse.

    https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/07/31/mat-sabu-only-four-out-of-rmaf-28-russian-fighter-jets-can-fly/

    As revealed by Mat Sabu, the MIG-29 are currently just expensive dead bricks, the engines are dead, the electronics are dead.

    Only 20% of the SU 30MKM are still in flyable condition.

    The FA-18 , by contrast are still fully usable for Malaysia's self-defence.

    If Malaysia buys MIGS and Sukhois again, it will be as Einstein said

    "Insanity Is Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results"

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wakakakakaka…

    “The way they treated Malaysia as a buyer of the F-18, we find that the planes are only good for airshows. But we cannot program it for, say, attacks against other countries or for any other use. That is the experience of Malaysia. But I suspect that other countries also did not get the source codes… the planes are not really a weapon that you can control. The control is with the Americans.”

    An indirect way of telling all countries that wanted to buy US military weapons WHO's the boss even if u r the one who paid!

    The only country, outside US, that can get access to 90%(perhaps) of the performance source codes of a US weapon, is Israel.

    All others r just suckers & sucking in silence!

    Meanwhile all European countries either manufacture their own or just buy from each others. US weaponry r either token donations or pure superficial muscle showings. Good to see, lousy to work to plan due to the imposed restrictions.

    So, Japan, SKorea, S'pore & all zombieic states within that cursed MiddleEast r just having some US toys with various degree of permitted firing powers as defined by uncle Sam.

    Mmmm… maybe that's how one maintaining as the only policeman of the 'free' world? No competition allows even amongst friends!

    ReplyDelete
  5. islamic country shd buy aircraft from another islamic country.

    ReplyDelete
  6. At least jet fighters got air show. Scorpene submarines got No Show.....ha ha ha...where are they?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Singapore, which deploys far more advanced US-made weapons , is not subject to such severe restrictions.

    As usual, Mahathir is totally incapable of making any self-reflection on how Malaysia got into this situation in the first place.

    It's a result of Malaysia ambiguous or dubious (depending on how one chooses to view it) foreign policy stance.

    While Malaysia is not considered an Adversary by the USA ( such as Iran or North Korea) or Strategic Competitor ( such as China) , it is not considered a friendly country either (such as Singapore).

    So weapons sales to Malaysia are subject to multiple many conditions and restrictions, to ensure they don't someday get turned against USA, it allies or friends ( such as Singapore).

    Allegedly calling CCP "DaGe" is not going to help one single bit

    ReplyDelete
  8. Malaysia's real world experience with operating Russian jets vs American jets reminds me of the Car owning experience of a friend.

    He used to drive a Alfa Romeo 2.0 - a fantastically good paper-car, and on a good day ,it really was an amazing car to drive.
    The problem was , the Alfa Romeo had too many bad days, and too few good days.
    Finicky, unreliable, and needed what he called costly, aggressive pro-active mIntenance.

    He ultimately sold off the Alfa Romeo and bought a boring Toyota Camry - boring , middle-of-the-road performance, but just needed routine maintenance and reliably started and drove off every morning.

    That's Russian MIGS and Sukhois vs American Boeings for you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wakakakakaka…


      Russian MIGS and Sukhois vs American Boeings!!!

      Military vs civilian?

      What a fart!

      That Alfa Romeo must be a pre war tin can vis-a-vis Toyota supra. & the worst part is u have interchanged the performance descriptions of these two cars!

      Delete
    2. FA/-18 is manufactured by Boeing....you are so ignorant CCP zombie.

      Alfa Romeo still exists today 2021, manufacturing high performance cars, but as I said , they make great PAPER Cars, but lousy in practice.....just like Russian MIGs.

      Delete
    3. FACT CHECK:

      Boeing is not just civilian. In 2016, 13% of its revenue comes from its military division.

      https://www.statista.com/statistics/269000/percentage-of-company-revenue-in-boeings-defense-space-security-segment/

      Delete
    4. Yaloh, ignorant fool!

      The Boeing F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet are twin-engine, carrier-capable, multirole fighter aircraft variants based on the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet.

      So r u talking about F/A-18 or F/A-18E and F/A-18F?

      BTW, u r comparing Alfa Romeo 2.0 with a Toyota Camry!

      When Alfa Romeo 2.0 first came out to the market there was no Toyota Camry available. Thus u r not comparing apples with apple. Hence my suggestion of Toyota Supra.

      But then AGAIN, know-nothing just fart with loud mouth w/o even doing a proper research on the subject IS just yr second katak-ised nature. No?

      Delete
    5. FACT CHECK:

      Boeing acquired McDonnell Douglas in 1997 so all the F18s have been Boeing since then.

      Delete
    6. Wakakakakaka…

      When Boeing took over MacDonald Douglas in 1997, F/A-18 had been mothballed for quite a few years due to its many hardware problems.

      Hence after absorbing MD Boeing reinvent the F/A-18 blue prints to come up with the newer F/A-18E&F. Even then there r still mechanical & avionics problems.

      Most of the F/A-18 sold were all pre Boeing!

      Comprehendi, blurred mfer of c&p?

      Delete
  9. FACT CHECK:
    Past, Present and Future Boeing Military Products:

    QUOTE
    Bomber aircraft
    Boeing YB-9
    Boeing XB-15 (1 prototype)
    Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
    Boeing XB-38 Flying Fortress
    Boeing YB-40 Flying Fortress
    Boeing C-108 Flying Fortress
    List of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress variants
    Boeing Y1B-20
    Boeing B-29 Superfortress
    Boeing KB-29 Superfortress
    Boeing XB-39 Superfortress
    B-29 Superfortress variants
    Boeing B-47 Stratojet
    Boeing B-50 Superfortress
    Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
    Boeing B-54
    Boeing XB-55
    Boeing XB-56
    Boeing XB-59
    Boeing TB – torpedo bomber
    Rotorcraft
    Boeing AH-6
    Boeing AH-64 Apache
    Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight (Vertol Aircraft Corp.)
    Boeing Vertol CH-47 Chinook (Vertol Aircraft Corp.)
    Boeing Chinook (UK variants)
    Boeing Vertol YUH-61
    Boeing Vertol XCH-62
    V-22 Osprey (with Bell Helicopter)
    Quad TiltRotor (with Bell Helicopter)
    RAH-66 Comanche (with Sikorsky)
    SkyHook JHL-40

    Fighter and attack aircraft
    X-32B Joint Strike Fighter
    F-15E Strike Eagle
    Boeing Model 15
    Boeing F2B
    Boeing F3B
    Boeing XF6B
    Boeing XF8B
    Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle
    Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle
    Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
    Boeing EA-18G Growler
    Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor (partner with prime contractor Lockheed Martin)
    Boeing GA-1
    Boeing XP-4
    Boeing XP-7
    Boeing XP-8
    Boeing XP-9
    Boeing P-12
    Boeing XP-15
    Boeing P-26 Peashooter
    Boeing P-29
    Boeing X-32, Boeing's entry for the Joint Strike Fighter program
    Experimental aircraft
    Boeing Bird of Prey
    Boeing X-40
    Boeing X-53 Active Aeroelastic Wing
    Tankers and transport aircraft

    KC-135 Stratotanker refuels F-15C Eagle
    Boeing YC-14
    Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
    Boeing C-22
    Boeing VC-25
    Boeing C-32
    Boeing C-40 Clipper
    Boeing KC-46 Pegasus
    Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter
    Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter
    Boeing C-127
    Boeing C-135 Stratolifter
    Boeing EC-135
    Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker
    Boeing NC-135
    Boeing OC-135B Open Skies – (3 Treaty on Open Skies observation aircraft)
    Boeing RC-135
    Boeing WC-135 Constant Phoenix
    Boeing C-137 Stratoliner
    Boeing CC-137
    Boeing KC-767
    Boeing Pelican
    Trainer aircraft
    Boeing Model 2
    Boeing XAT-15
    Boeing NB
    Boeing T-43 navigator trainer
    Boeing Skyfox
    Boeing T-7 Red Hawk
    Surveillance and other military

    E-3 Sentry
    Boeing 737 AEW&C (E-7 Wedgetail)
    Boeing Model 42
    Boeing YAL-1 Airborne Laser
    Boeing E-3 Sentry (an AWACS surveillance aircraft)
    Boeing E-4 (Advanced Airborne Command Post)
    Boeing E-6 Mercury
    Boeing E-767 (AWACS)
    Boeing P-8 Poseidon (Anti-submarine warfare)
    Boeing XPB
    Boeing XP3B
    Boeing XPBB Sea Ranger
    Utility aircraft
    Boeing Model 1
    Boeing L-15 Scout
    Unmanned aerial vehicles

    The X-45A UAV, a prototype for the significantly larger X-45C
    Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack
    Boeing YQM-94
    Boeing CQM-121 Pave Tiger – anti-radar drone
    Boeing X-45//Phantom Ray – technology demonstrators
    Boeing X-46
    Boeing X-48
    Boeing X-50 Dragonfly – experimental Gyrodyne UAV
    Boeing X-51
    Boeing A160 Hummingbird – development UAV helicopter
    Boeing Condor
    Boeing DARPA Vulture
    Boeing HALE
    Boeing Insitu ScanEagle
    Boeing MQ-25 Stingray
    Boeing Phantom Eye – in development as high altitude, long range UAV
    Boeing Persistent Munition Technology Demonstrator
    Boeing SolarEagle
    GQM-163 Coyote
    MA-31
    Boeing Airpower Teaming System
    Missiles
    CIM-10 Bomarc
    LGM-30 Minuteman
    AGM-69 SRAM
    AGM-86 ALCM Cruise Missile
    MGM-118 Peacekeeper
    UUM-125 Sea Lance
    AGM-131 SRAM II
    Boeing Ground-to-Air Pilotless Aircraft
    Harpoon (missile)
    Standoff Land Attack Missile
    AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER
    UNQUOTE

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wakakakakaka…

      When did u part-timed as a Boeing military merchandise salesman!

      Boeing needs these military incomes since the civilian passenger liner business is kaputed!

      Delete