Sunday June 11, 2006,RMAF pilots may go to India for trainingBY M. VEERA PANDIYAN
BANGALORE: Malaysia is keen to send RMAF pilots for training in India and source technical support, maintenance and spare parts for its 18 Sukhoi-30MK multi-role fighter aircraft ordered from Russia last month.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said a formal request would be made to the Indian government on these two areas.
“Any agreement will be subject to the final decision of the Indian government,” he said after visiting India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) aircraft assembly division at Nasik, Maharashtra.
Najib, who is Defence Minister, said HAL was currently assembling 140 Su-30MK aircraft and ground support systems for IndiaÂ’s Air Force.
“As such, the aeronautics company can be considered a capable source for training our Sukhoi maintenance technicians and supply of spare parts and support equipment,” he said.
The Su-30MK is a twin-engine multi-role fighter capable of being operated as an interceptor, bomber and trainer with day and night flying capabilities in all weather conditions.
MalaysiaÂ’s Su-30MKs are scheduled to be delivered in three batches, the first six by March next year, another six by December and the remaining six by the end of 2008.
i am worry that India is not the country to build this plane
yet to train RMAF?