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The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) (Malay: Tentera Udara DiRaja Malaysia (TUDM)) was formed on 2 June 1958 as the Royal Malayan Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Persekutuan). However, its roots could be traced to the Malayan Auxiliary AF formations of the British Royal Air Force in then colonial Malaya. Today, the Royal Malaysian Air Force operates a unique mix of modern US, European and Russian made aircraft.
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[edit] Early years
On 25 October 1960, after the end of the Malayan Emergency, the British Royal Air Force handed over their first base in Malaya to the RMAF, the Simpang Airport, which was established on 1 June 1941, located in Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur which was formerly part of Selangor.
The first aircraft for the fledgling air force was a Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer named “Lang Rajawali” by the then Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. Several Malayans serving with the Royal Air Force transferred to the Royal Malayan Air Force. The role played by TUDM was limited initially to communications and the support of ground operations against Communist insurgents during the Malayan Emergency. TUDM received the first combat aircraft with the delivery of 20 Canadair CL41G Tebuan (an armed version of the Canadair Tutor trainer). TUDM also received the Aérospatiale Alouette III helicopters, used in the liaison role.
With the formation of Malaysian Federation on September 16, 1963, the name of the force was changed to "Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia" or Royal Malaysian Air Force". New types introduced into service included the Handley Page Herald transport and the De Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou. TUDM received the Sikorsky S-61A-4 helicopters in the late sixties and early seventies and used in the transport role. TUDM gained an air defence capability when the Australian Government donated 10 ex-RAAF CAC Sabre fighters. These were based at the Butterworth Air Base.
After the withdrawal of British military forces from Malaysia and Singapore at the end of 1971, a five-nation agreement between Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom was concluded to ensure defense against external aggression. The Royal Australian Air Force maintained a Mirage IIIO squadron at the Butterworth Air Base as part of its commitment to the Five Power Defence Agreement. This squadron has been withdrawn since 1983 though occasional deployments of RAAF aircraft continue.
[edit] Modernization
With the withdrawal of the British military forces, TUDM underwent gradual modernisation in the 1970s and through the 1990s. The CA27 Sabre were replaced by 16 Northrop F-5E Tigers. A reconnaissance capability was acquired with the purchase of 2 RF-5E Tigereye aircraft. TUDM also purchased 88 Ex US Navy McDonnell Douglas A-4C Skyhawks and Grumman Bethpage refurbished 40 of the airframes into the A-4PTM (Peculiar To Malaysia) configuration (similar to A-4M standard). TUDM has traditionally looked to the West for its purchases, primarily to the United States. However, limitation imposed by the United States on "new technology" to the region such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM fire and forget air to air missiles has made TUDM consider purchases from Russia and other non-traditional sources.
The '90s saw the arrival first with the BAE Hawk Mk108/208 which replaced the T/A-4PTM's followed by the MiG-29N/NUB in 1995 to take on the air superiority role, and finally the delivery of the F/A-18D Hornet in 1997 to provide the all weather interdictor capability. In 2003 a contract was signed for eighteen Su-30MKMs for delivery in 2007 to fulfill a requirement for an initial order batch of multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA). A requirement for a further eighteen MRCAs remains unfulfilled. TUDM is also looking for an AWACS aircraft, though no firm orders have been placed.
On 8 December 2005 four Airbus Military A400M aircraft were ordered to enhance the airlift capability. The first Malaysian A400M aircraft will be delivered in 2016.[2] In late 2006 the Government signed a contract to purchase 8 Aermacchi MB-339CMs to add to the 8 older MB-339AMs currently in service.
In March 2007, then-Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Najib Tun Razak clarify to the public that the MiG-29s will continue in service until the year of 2010. Later that year, Najib announced the Nuri (Sikorsky S-61A-4) helicopter, in service since 1968 with 89 crew members killed in 15 accidents, would be phased out by 2012 and replaced by the Eurocopter AS 532 Cougar.[3] Deputy RMAF Chief Lt Gen Bashir Abu Bakar told media news after opening of the Heli-Asia 2007, that tender assessment for the replacement of the Sikorsky S-61A-4 would occur in early 2008.[4]
In June 2009, RMAF chief Jeneral Azizan Ariffin said that the air force will replace their MiG-29 with better aircraft that have high agility and the capability to attack and overcome the enemy forces.[5]
[edit] Ranks of The Royal Malaysian Air Force
See Also Supreme Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces
Up until the late 1970s, the Royal Malaysian Air Force used the same officer ranking system as the Royal Air Force. These ranks were replaced by army-style ranks and the list of ranks which are currently used is shown below from the highest rank to the lowest rank.
Flag Officer
| Rank | Air Chief Marshal | Air Marshal | Air Vice Marshal | Air Commodore |
Commissioned Officer
| Rank | Group Captain | Wing Commander | Squadron Leader | Flight Lieutenant | Flying Officer | Section/Pilot Officer | Cadet Officer |
Enlisted
| Rank | Master Aircrew | Flight Sergeant | Chief Technician | Sergeant | Corporal | Junior Technician | Senior Aircraftman | Leading Aircraftman | Aircraftman |
[edit] Royal Malaysian Air Force
| Insignia | Description | |
|---|---|---|
 | Brigadier General (Brigedier Jeneral) | Typically serves as Deputy Commander to the Commanding General of a division and assists in overseeing the planning and coordination of a mission. In an infantry brigade not attached to a division, a Brigadier General serves as the unit's commander, while a Colonel serves as deputy commander. |
 | Major General (Mejar Jeneral) | Typically commands division-sized units (10,000 to 16,000 soldiers). |
 | Lieutenant General (Leftenan Jeneral) | Typically commands corps-sized units (20,000 to 45,000 soldiers). |
 | General (Jeneral) | Commands all operations that fall within his geographical area. The Chief of Defence Force and the Chief of the Air Force are four-star Generals. |
 | Marshal of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (Marshal Udara) | This rank is only used by the Malaysian High Majesty as a Supreme Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces. |
[edit] Assets
| Total Aircraft In Service | 226 (36 orders) |
[edit] Organisation
- 1st Division
- 2 Squadron Fokker F-28 Fellowship, Falcon 900, Global Express, Boeing BBJ (737-700) Subang AFB
- 3 Squadron S-61A4A Nuri Butterworth AFB
- 6 Squadron BAE Hawk 108/Hawk 208 Kuantan AFB
- 10 Squadron S-61A4A Nuri Kuala Lumpur AFB
- 11 Squadron Su-30MKM Flanker Gong Kedak AFB
- 12 Squadron Northrop F-5E, F-5F, RF-5E Butterworth AFB
- 15 Squadron BAE Hawk 108/Hawk 208, Aermacchi MB-339AM Butterworth AFB
- 16 Squadron Beech 200T Subang AFB
- 18 Squadron Boeing F/A-18D Hornet Butterworth AFB
- 19 Squadron MiG 29N/UB Kuantan AFB
- 20 Squadron Lockheed C-130H Hercules, C-130T Subang AFB
- 21 Squadron CN-235-200M Subang AFB
- 2nd Division
- 5 Squadron S-61A4A Nuri Labuan AFB
- 7 Squadron S-61A4A Nuri Kuching AFB
- 14 Squadron Lockheed C-130H Hercules Labuan AFB
- Training Division
- 1 FTC PC-7, PC-7 Mk II, Alor Setar AFB
- 2 FTC Alouette III Alor Setar AFB
- 3 FTC MB-339AM,MB-339CM Kuantan AFB
[edit] Airbases
Airbases include:
- TUDM Alor Setar, Kedah (RMAF Alor Setar) (Air Force Academy)
- TUDM Bukit Ibam, Pahang (RMAF Bukit Ibam)
- TUDM Bukit Jugra, Selangor (RMAF Bukit Jugra)
- TUDM Butterworth, Penang (RMAF Butterworth)5°27′52″N 100°23′28″E / 5.464434°N 100.391178°E, Penang
- TUDM Gong Kedak, Kelantan (RMAF Gong Kedak) satellite imagery
- TUDM Ipoh, Perak (RMAF Ipoh) (Air Force School)
- TUDM Kinrara, Selangor (RMAF Kinrara (School of Logistic Management; also houses a central hospital facility)
- TUDM Kuantan, Pahang (RMAF Kuantan) satellite imagery
- TUDM Kuching, Sarawak (RMAF Kuching)
- TUDM Labuan (RMAF Labuan)
- TUDM Subang, Selangor (RMAF Subang)3°07′08″N 101°32′40″E / 3.119005°N 101.544399°E, Selangor
- TUDM Kuala Lumpur (RMAF Simpang)3°06′51″N 101°42′07″E / 3.114120°N 101.701813°E
- TUDM Bukit Lunchu Johor(( RMAF Skn 323))
[edit] Special Forces
The elite arm of the RMAF is known as PASKAU (Malay acronym for Pasukan Khas Udara, loosely means Special Air Unit). In the peacetime, the unit is tasked with responding to aircraft hijacking incidents as well as protecting Malaysia's numerous offshore RMAF airbases and civilian airports. Its wartime roles include ground designation, sabotaging of enemy air assets and equipments and the defense of RMAF aircraft and bases. This unit is also deployed to counter-terrorism duties and also urban CQB.
[edit] Missing Jet Engines Scandal
In May 2008, two J85-GE-21 engines that power the Northrop F-5E Tiger II fighter jets belonging to the Royal Malaysian Air Force were reported missing, as of sometime in 2007, from a RMAF gowdown in Kuala Lumpur during Najib's tenure as Defence Minister in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's Cabinet. The jets engines belonging to the 12th Squadron (Scorpion) based in Butterworth. The issue became a matter of political dispute,[6] and it was reported a brigadier-general,40 other armed forces personnel, had been sacked over the incident.[7] On January 6, 2010, two Malaysians, an air force sergeant and a civilian contractor, were charged in connection with the theft and disposal of both engines.[8]
[edit] Engines diverted to Uruguay
On February 5, 2010, Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail revealed that the two missing F5E jet engines have been found in Uruguay with the help of the Government of Uruguay and the Malaysian government is proceeding with the necessary measures to secure their return. Investigations showed that the engines were taken out of the RMAF base on Dec 20, 2007 and Jan 1, 2008, and sent to a gowdown in Subang Jaya before being shipped out of Malaysia to South America.
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