KUALA LUMPUR: With “showtime” less than two days away, preparations for the 15th edition of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition (LIMA 2019) have kicked into high gear.
Yesterday, Royal Malaysian Air Force chief General Tan Sri Affendi Buang flew in from RMAF Subang to view firsthand the progress.
Touching down in Padang Matsirat at 7.36am, Affendi, clad in his olive drab flightsuit, was welcomed by senior RMAF officers and ushered to the VIP tent at the edge of the flightline.
On the tarmac, RMAF assets taking part in the opening gambit were spooling up their engines and taxiing. Yesterday was the first time the entire sequence was presented to Affendi.
“We’re on track,” he told the New Straits Times after the eight-minute sequence was over.
“The boys took about a week to put it together. They rehearsed over RMAF Butterworth last week. Today (yesterday) was the first time all the elements came together in Langkawi.
“I told them that this is an opportunity for us to show what we can do. They’ll be tightening up the sequence here and there but overall, I’m very, very happy.
“We will do a final review on Sunday (tomorrow),” he said.
Affendi said the air force’s lineup for this edition of LIMA was impressive — the biggest one yet — with 10 Sukhoi Su-30MKMs, six Boeing F/A-18D Hornets, five BAE Systems Hawks, eight Pilatus PC-7 Mk IIs, three Airbus A400M “Grizzlies”, three Airbus Helicopters’ EC725 Cougars and two Sikorsky S-61A-4 “Nuris” taking part.
“We’re going all out,” he quipped.
“You’ll notice there’s a different vibe to the show. From the routines to the soundtrack that accompany those routines. That was by design.”
For the first time ever in LIMA’s history, the opening gambit will be followed by tactical and solo displays. While the main sequence showcases the RMAF fleet, the tactical and solo elements will highlight the raw power and capabilities of the jets, as the pilots fly them “fangs out”.
At the heart of this are the air force’s formidable multirole strike fighters — the Su-30MKM Flankers operated by 11 Squadron in RMAF Gong Kedak, and the Boeing F/A-18D Hornets of 18 Squadron, homeported in RMAF Butterworth.
This segment will also demonstrate the precision flying capabilities and split-second timing of the flight crews. One of the “trump cards” in the Hornet’s bag of tricks is its low speed, high-alpha capability, while the Flankers are masters at nose-pointing and getting a gun track on an adversary.
11 Squadron commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel Faizal Abu Bakar, callsign “Fab”, said the routines showcased “the full spectrum of the RMAF’s MRCA combat capabilities”.
“This is the first time that two different types of airplanes — one from Russia, and the other, from the United States — have put on a show together,” he said.
The Flanker and Hornet crews spent about a month in a series of work-ups to get to this point.
Lieutenant-Colonel Abdul Rahim Jusoh, callsign “Blade” and the “Boss” of 18 Squadron, said the gaps in between the routines were roughly five seconds.
“We’re planning on bringing it down to three seconds, so you won’t be able to catch your breath,” he laughed.
“It’s going to be low, loud and fast!”
LIMA 2019, which begins on Tuesday (March 26) until March 30, has attracted the participation of 390 companies from 32 countries.