BUTTERWORTH: The Royal Malaysian Air Force’s (RMAF) Hawk jets can still be used for the next 10 years with upgrades.
Its chief General Tan Sri Affendi Buang said the aircraft was currently used to monitor airspace at the South China Sea and also the eastern part of Sabah.
He said the aircraft, which had been in service for nearly 25-years, only needed to be upgraded to keep up with current technology.
“We need to upgrade in terms of its technologies and system.
"The Hawk is still capable of delivering and remaining relevant, even though there are a few issues since it has already served for 25 years. But we are planning to use it for 10 more years and there will be upgrades along the way,” he said.
Affendi said any decision on adding more Hawks to the RMAF inventory would depend on allocation from the government.
“If we have sufficient allocation then we will purchase the latest ones," he said at the 25th Silver Jubilee Hawk Aircraft celebration at the RMAF Butterworth base here today.
The Hawk aircraft was acquired by the RMAF through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Malaysian government and the United Kingdom on Dec 10, 1990, for the delivery of 10 Hawk 108 and 18 Hawk 208.
The advanced trainer/light fighter jets were brought in stages from April 15, 1994.
Throughout the 25 years of its service, the Hawk aircraft was used by RMAF in major operations including the Ops Daulat in March 2013 where five Hawks launched air strikes to destroy the terrorist hideout in Lahad Datu.
Brigadier Jen Felix Gonsalves was amongst the first few who got the opportunity to fly the Hawk aircraft when it was brought to the country.
He was then assigned to use the Hawk aircraft and attended Qualified Weapon Instructor course in England for eight months before being posted to the Project Hawk team from 1993 to 1994.
Gonsalves said he was thrilled when he first flew the Hawk 108.
"At that time the Hawk was the most advanced jet which the RMAF had in its inventory.
"The older aircraft at that time used radar but this one used far superior technology which was really amazing," said Felix, who was 30 years old, when he first flew the Hawk.