Competition Now Between FA-50 Block 20 And M-346FA?
Sources told Defense Security Asia that the tender competition to supply 18 FLIT/LCA aircraft to TUDM is now between the FA-50 Block 20 made by South Korea/ the United States and the Italian company M-346FA.
(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) - Ministry of Defense international tender to acquire 18 Fighter Lead-In Trainer/Light Combat Aircraft aircraft (FLIT/LCA) was officially closed on October 6 last year and since that date has begun the task of the appraisal team to determine the winner.
The 18-plane acquisition tender for TUDM, which is expected to cost up to RM4 billion, has attracted several aircraft manufacturers who risked their output aircraft in the tender.
Between six and eight companies are said to have joined the Ministry of Defense's international tender for the FLIT/LCA aircraft Korea Industries Aerospace (KAI), Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), Pakistan Aeronautical Complex/Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group and China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corp (CATIC).
In addition Leonardo's company and Saab Group from Sweden also joined the tender.
As we have seen over the past few weeks, the competition to supply 18 FLIT/LCA aircraft to the RMAF has been fierce, with companies involved offering various exciting deals to Malaysia.
From the offer “final assembly line,” Maintenance, Overhall and Refurbishment (MRO) centers to local production and more.
Although the competition to supply the 18 aircraft is fierce, Defense Security Asia (DSA) has been informed by sources that it is believed that at present two types of FLIT/LCA aircraft are ahead of competition based on some of its "technical strength".
Both planes are FA-50 Block 20 developed by KAI as well as the M-346 FA (Fighter Aircraft) aircraft developed by Leonardo's company.
“It seems that both aircraft are at the forefront of competition due to a number of technical factors and, logically, both aircraft are a safe choice for the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).”
What is meant to be "safe" by a source of waste?
The "Safe" meant by the source is that both FLIT/LCA aircraft have been used by many countries including regional countries and are a "proven" option, with security within the network of alternatives and existing aid infrastructure.
At this time, the FA-50/TA-50 aircraft other than being used by the South Korean Air Force (about 60) were also used by our neighboring countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Whereas for aircraft Leonardo M-346 Furthermore, since 2012 the aircraft has been used by our neighboring country, the Singapore Air Force, in addition to other customers such as the Italian Air Force, Poland and Israel.
The FA-50 and M-346 have reached a certain level of "maturity" that makes customers and their customers feel comfortable using it.
KAI through its local partner has also announced some very interesting offers if Malaysia chooses the FA-50.
In addition to the FA-50 and Leonardo M-346 which enjoyed success in the export market, other aircraft such as Tejas, JF-17 and L-15 Hongdu only used by the country of manufacture and failed to export to the country outside.
While the Hurjet developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) is still in prototype condition, the first flight will only take place next year.
The Hurjet was described as a "new baby crawl", according to observers.
For the MiG-35, it was only used by the Russian Air Force in very small numbers at this time, in addition to the claim that it was just a fighter aircraft that had been "rebranded" from the MiG-29 aircraft before.
Whether the TUDM or the Ministry of Defense is at risk of using prototype aircraft or aircraft not used by countries other than the country of manufacture itself?
KAI offers the FA-50 Block 20 aircraft equipped with a variety of advanced equipment such as “Sniper Advance Targeting Pod,” 20mm gun, AIM-9 missile, GBU-12 LGB Integration, GBU-38 JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munitions) and AGM-65 Maverick missiles.
KAI developed the FA-50 aircraft in collaboration with Lockheed Martin, so it's no wonder we can see the DNA of the US aerospace industry on the fighter aircraft.
In addition, the FA-50 Block 20 will also be equipped with the Air-To-Air Refuelling Probe (AAR Probe) facility for refueling and Link 16 Block Upgrade 2.
The AAR Probe facility will ensure that the FA-50 Block 20 is capable of operating longer and longer.
In addition there are options for future work that can be done in the future as the matter will be upgraded in the current development process by KAI.
Among them, include 300 gallons of External Fuel Tanks and Beyond Visual Range (BVR) capabilities in the form of AIM-120 air-to-air missiles (AMRAAM).
A little more improvement and upgrading, the FA-50 Block II aircraft offered by KAI can already be categorized as MRCA (Multi Role Combat Aircraft) aircraft.
The question of the use of Israeli components by the FA-50 Block 20 is also expected to cause many problems as KAI has committed to replace it with the same components made by the United States and South Korea.
The latest variant of the M-346FA according to Leonardo's company, is designed to provide increased capabilities for the military in the field.
Leonardo said the FA (Fighter Attack) variant was offered to meet the needs MUDM it can be assigned to perform various tasks on combat fields such as ground support including air-to-ground, tactical, close water support (CAS) and counter-insurgency (COIN) missions.
The two engines can also be equipped with smart bullets (precision guided munitions –PGM).
In addition, the M-346FA variant was developed to provide training to pilots, air combat, enforcement and control of airspace and tactical monitoring.
The Leonardo company's two-seater variant of the M-346FA also comes with a digital glass cockpit.
In addition, the aircraft also has LCD multi-function displays, head-up display, night vision goggle (NVG), voice command system, self-protection system, helmet-mounted display (HMD) system, navigation and communication as well as traffic collision avoidance system. - DSA
Tender antarabangsa Kementerian Pertahanan untuk mendapatkan 18 buah pesawat Fighter Lead-In Trainer/Light Combat Aircraft (FLIT/LCA) telah pun ditutup pada 6 Oktober tahun lepas dan sejak daripada tarikh itu bermulalah tugas berat pasukan penilai untuk menentukan pemenangnya.
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