Not one but two jet-fighter engines, each worth RM50 million, were stolen from the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) base in Sungai Besi. Both engines served as powerplants to the F-5E Tiger II fighter and RF-5E Tigereye reconnaissance jets. Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said the two engines were discovered stolen in May last year. RMAF had lodged a report with the police on Aug 4 last year.

He said the first engine was transported out of RMAF’s Butterworth base to the Sungai Besi base in June 2007 while the second engine was moved out five months later in November. Both engines were to be kept in a warehouse at the Sungai Besi base before being taken out for maintenance. The engines were taken out of the Butterworth base by the same private defence contractor handling its maintenance.

Both engines were only discovered stolen along with their maintenance records when RMAF officers wanted to service them in May last year. RMAF lodged a report with the police after searching for the engines at all its airbases.The case was later handled by the PDRM Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department in Bukit Aman. It was learnt that the engines were sold to arms dealers on the black market.

Armed Forces chief Gen Tan Sri Azizan Ariffin said although the jet was discovered missing in 2007, the case could not be made public as several actions, as well as internal investigations which also involved the police, had to be conducted. “Investigations are still being carried out by the police and the outcome will be announced soon. We are leaving the investigation to the police and will not interfere,” he added. (Resource: NST Online)

RMAF Northrop F-5E Tiger hawks over Malaysia air space

F-5A/B Freedom Fighter and F-5E/F Tiger II is widely used as a “light supersonic fighter aircraft”, designed and built by Northrop in the United States, starting in the 1960s. There are hundred of units that are still serving in the air force around the world in the early 21st century. Production stopped in 1972 for the type of F-5A and 1987 for the upgraded version of F-5E.

In 1975 Malaysia received 14 of F-5E units and 2 units of F-5F (training version) for Royal Malaysian Air Force to replace the F86 Saber Avon that had served since 1969. Malaysia F-5E/RF-5F’s are among the most advance jet fighters in Asean region during its era and has served in the Royal Malaysian Air Force successfully as the main fighter craft for more than 20 years. Its roles in the air was then taken over by the A4 Skyhawk in the 1980s.

Originally served as a jet interceptor, it was later also used for ground attack, to bomb PKM camps and hideouts during insurgency era. RMAF F-5E’s were operated by 11th. and 12th. Squadron in Butterworth, Penang. Among its most memorable tasks was intercepting unauthorized entrance of Vietnamese MiG’s into Malaysia air space. The 11th. Squadron was later disbanded and absorbed into the 12th. Scorpion Squadron. Current operational status of F-5E is somewhat vague but it was reported that 7 aircraft have been restored with enhanced capabilities. Other report suggest that it now serves mainly for tactical reconnaissance.

Later on, in an effort to minimize the number of unoperated military assets, the Royal Malaysian Air Force and the Malaysian government have agreed to reactivate 7 nos. F-5E units as second line fighter starting late 2006/07. Although not the best in terms of capacity compared with Mikoyan MIG-29N Fulcrum, Sukhoi SU-30MKM Flanker, McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet or the BAE Hawk Mk108/208 but it’s still a significant threat to whoever tried to provoke the country air space.

NEWS UPDATE
A brigadier-general and 40 armed forces personnel were sacked over their alleged involvement in a fighter engine missing case, a local newspaper said here on Monday. An internal inquiry has found the brigadier-general and the 40 personnel were involved in several other logistic irregularities amounting for several million ringgit, the newspaper quoted a source as saying. RMAF spokesman however denies this news is related to the missing jet engines case. (Resource: NST Online)

The RMAF F-5E fighter jet missing engines was found sold to an international company based in South America, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. He said the company was believed to have hired an agent to bring the engine out of the country because the price was cheap, as it was a spare part categorised as faulty and would be repaired. The Defence Minister said his ministry will take legal action at the international level to charge the company involved. (Resource: Bernama)

Technorati Tags: BAE Hawk Mk108/208, Butterworth, F86 Saber Avon, Malaysia, Malaysia News, Malaysian, McDonnell Douglas F/A-18, Mikoyan MIG-29N, Northrop F-5E, Penang, RMAF, Royal Malaysia Air Force, Sukhoi SU-30MKM, Sungai Besi, TUDM

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