Speaking to FMT, Mohd Arshad Raji said the government’s inability to maintain the integrity of the armed forces gave a clear sign that the nation was “in trouble”.
“In modern warfare, the air force plays a vital role,” he said. “When air superiority is lost, the land battle becomes worthless.
“The Malaysian Armed Forces’ preoccupation in times of peace is to train for war. War tactics and techniques are highly dynamic. Any new innovation or invention in the weapons system demands new operational tactics and techniques.”
He said upgrades and the acquisition of new assets were essential to keeping the RMAF abreast with the region’s other air forces.
A nation with obsolete and outdated air force assets would be exposed to aerial threats from potential enemies, he added.
DefenseNews reported yesterday that major procurement programmes for the Malaysian Armed Forces had mostly been put on hold. It said this meant that “badly needed” fighters, trainers, helicopters and maritime patrol aircraft would unlikely be acquired by the RMAF in the short to medium term.
With more kidnappings taking place off Sabah and Sarawak, the RMAF recently moved a squadron of BAE Hawk 108/208 light attack aircraft to East Malaysia.
Concerns have been expressed that the thinning of resources comes amid threats arising from lawlessness in the southern Philippines and China’s aggressive stance on issues over disputed islands in the South China Sea.
The government allocated RM15.1 billion to the Defence Ministry under Budget 2017. Of this, RM1.8 billion is for asset maintenance. DefenseNews noted that the 2017 allocation represented a 13% drop from 2016’s budget.