Tag: General Dato Sri Hj Affendi bin Buang

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Defence: RMAF – Zooming At 59

General Dato’ Sri Haji Affendi bin Buang RMAF, Chief of Air Force speaking to reporters at the ‘Media with RMAF Day’ recently. To his right is Lieutenant-General Dato’ Sri Haji Abdul Mutalib bin Dato’ Haji Ab Wahab RMAF, Commander of RMAF Operations Command
“We shall prioritise our needs and ensure that the sovereignty of this beloved nation is NOT compromised in any way despite the budget constraints.”

The above was said by the Chief of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), General Dato’ Sri Haji Affendi bin Buang RMAF when asked to comment about the effects of the budget constraints on RMAF operations.

“True to this year’s 59th anniversary theme which is ‘Kuasa Udara Tonggak Kedaulatan Negara’ (Air Power Pillar of National Sovereignty) the RMAF’s assets will always be ready in any situation and time to deal with any eventuality.”

The absence of any stop-gap measure since the RMAF took the MiG-29Ns offline, coupled with the lack of funds for the acquisition of new MRCAs have been worrying.  Although the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) has gotten its boost in assets with the purchase of six Littoral Mission Ships, the lessons of Force Z that ended some 47 nautical miles northeast of Tioman island must never be forgotten.

Force Z comprised of the brand-new battleship HMS Prince of Wales, the battlecruiser HMS Repulse, and destroyers HMS Electra, HMS Express, HMS Tenedos and HMAS Vampire. On 10 December 1941, Force Z was decimated by Japanese aircraft from Saigon with only the destroyers making it back to Singapore.

Lack of air cover and underestimation of the Japanese force were key reasons to its decimation.

The RMAF has been wanting for a new MRCA and the two strongest contenders are the Dassault Rafale and the Saab Gripen.  There is a need to maintain the number of airframes to meet the doctrine.  However, it does not seem as if the RMAF would be getting any in the near future.

This has prompted the RMAF leadership under General Affendi to bring the MiG-29N back online.  “We will make sure that we have sufficient airframes to conduct the priority missions and not compromise our sovereignty,” added General Affendi.

A senior RMAF MiG-29N jock confided that it is very necessary to have the MiG-29N back online no matter the short-term cost of operating them.

“We’ll see probably six to ten of them flying missions soon,” he said.

“Maybe you’ll see the return of the Smokey Bandits at the next LIMA!” quipped another, referring to the RMAF’s MiG-29N aerobatic team that used to wow the crowd at previous Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibitions.

The MiG-29Ns will come back online to ensure that the sovereignty is not compromised
Most of the fighter squadrons are based in the Peninsular with only the No.6 Squadron based in Labuan operating the Hawks 208s.  The Hawks have been succesful in intercepting foreign military aircraft in the eastern South China Sea.

“There has not been that many incursions by the Chinese.  It’s the countries that are observing the Chinese that have made the most incursions,” confided another senior officer. “The Hawks are doing a good job at intercepting and directing them out of our airspace.”

Even so, the Hawks are limited in terms of endurance, firepower and range to perform such task.  The squadron not only has to cover the development in the Spratlys but also the east of Sabah.

“You mean for ESSCOM?” I asked another senior officer.

“Not just there. To watch over the Ambalat area too,” he replied. “We could do with at least two G550 AEW equivalent to cover our waters and borders.”

Therefore, it makes real sense to have the MiG-29Ns back online, perhaps based in Labuan, while some Hawk 208s could go on rotational deployment at Sandakan for interdiction missions.

“The RMAF is also seeking to develop its capabilities especially in maritime patrol and the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles,” General Affendi explained. “We need to look for other longer-endurance aircraft and systems that is better than the Beechcraft that we have.”

The RMAF fleet of the Beechcraft 200T MPA have been reduced to just three aircraft after a crash on the 21 December 2016 killed the aircraft commander while two other aircrew survived with injuries.  The Beechcrafts have been in service for almost two decades.

Asked if the recent offer by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Forces (JMSDF) of its almost three-decades old P-3C Orions, General Affendi said that a team will be sent to evaluate the aircraft offered.

“It is not just about operating the aircraft but also the cost of upgrading if needed and maintenance as they are not new aircraft,” he replied. “We do need better MPA capabilities which is why we will scrutinise the JMSDF MPAs and compare them to purchasing and operating newer systems.”

The Japanese Maritime Self Defence Forces has offered Malaysia its decommissioned P-3C Orion MPAs (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)
General Affendi thanked the government for its support and understands the constraints faced by the government as a result of a sluggish global economy.  Nevertheless, he said that the RMAF would work within its means to ensure that all systems needed to monitor and intercept incursions as well as to carry out other missions such as Humanitarian And Disaster Relief (HADR) required from time to time.

“The Airbus A400M is a good buy. We can carry more load than the C-130Hs ever could and go places the (Boeing) C-17 (Globemaster III) cannot,” said General Affendi of the RMAF’s latest acquisitions. “Imagine how many stops the C-130H needed before getting to the Middle East. The A400M can fly straight to Dubai from here.”

The RMAF says its current strength of four A400M is sufficient to carry out foreseen missions
The RMAF had brought 80 media practitioners from all over the country to witness the capabilities of the force.  Performing Close Air Support displays were F/A-18D Hornets and Hawk 208s while a EC-725 Caracal helo inserted a PASKAU GFAC team to perform GLTD mission for the above aircraft before being extracted via SPIE-Rig method.

No matter the situation, the RMAF will fulfill its motto “Sentiasa Di Angkasaraya” and with a good leadership under the Chief, General Dato Sri Haji Affendi bin Buang RMAF, the RMAF will continue to be rejuvenated at 59.

Selamat menyambut Hari Ulangtahun Tentera Udara DiRaja Malaysia ke-59.

An F/A-18D Hornet makes an aggressive turn

An Eurocopter EC-725 Caracal positions itself to extract the PASKAU GFAC team

Three Hawk 208s orbit the airfield prior to landing

A PASKAU GFAC team is extracted using the SPIE-Rig method

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The Ardent Apai

The practical leader – General Dato Sri Haji Affendi bin Buang RMAF

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.”

That quote from renowned American author John C Maxwell aptly describes the Chief of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, General Dato’ Sri Haji Affendi bin Buang RMAF.

One look at him reminded me of the first Chief of the RMAF that I served under, the late Lieutenant-General Tan Sri Mohamed bin Ngah Said RMAF – charismatic, feet-on-the-ground practical.

General Affendi is that.  A senior RMAF officer describes him as “an intelligent, smartly dressed, easy going, approachable and true Air Force General.”

“If you want to see things get done, Apai will get it done,” he added.

And it is no wonder that “Apai”, the Iban word for “Father” is not just his callsign, but in the true sense what the men and women of the RMAF regard him as.

Hailing from Kuching, Sarawak, General Affendi is the first RMAF Chief from the eastern half of Malaysia.  He joined as an Officer Cadet in 1980 before undergoing his basic flight training at the No.1 Flight Training School in RMAF Alor Setar (now Air Force College).  He subsequently trained on the Aermacchi MB-339A before joining the No.9 Squadron for a type-conversion on the McDonnell Douglas A-4PTM Skyhawk, and later served as an operational fighter pilot of the No.6 Squadron.

He was recognised as an ace when flying the Skyhawks doing Close Air Support and Battlefield Interdiction missions against the Communist insurgency in the late 1980s.  A senior Air Defence Controller described him:

“Apai is s***hot! With Apai you seldom need to call Check Six. He will manoeuvre and saddle-in to kill the bandit.”

In 1994 he was one of the officers selected for the MiG-29 Project Team who inducted and built up the operational capabilities of the RMAF MiG-29s.  Later he flew the MiG-29s on patrols in the Spratlys area.

In recognition of his leadership, steadfastness and bravery in conductng his missions, he was not only awarded with military gallantry honours but also recently conferred the sacred Blue Beret of the Pasukan Khas TUDM (PASKAU).

General Affendi was conferred the Blue Beret of the PASKAU on the 28th February 2017
Out of his office, General Affendi is known to shun protocol whenever possible.  He prefers to be with the men and women he leads and meets them whenever he can.  Despite being the Chief, General Affendi prefers to wade in the same mud as the one his men and women wade in.  You will never see him sit in a VIP seat when travelling on board any of the RMAF transport aircraft.  He prefers to work within his means.

And given the tough times the almost 59-year old RMAF is going through due to the global economic slowdown, only the tough will get going.  And when the jobs needs to be done, Apai will see it get done.

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Defence: Challenging Times Ahead

The 18th Chief of RMAF flanked by his Deputy and Commanders at a press conference after delivering his Prime Directives
The 18th Chief of RMAF flanked by his Deputy and Commanders at a press conference after delivering his Prime Directives

“I want all of us to work together to see how best can we meet our objectives even with budget constraints,” said the 18th Chief of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), General Dato’ Sri Hj Affendi bin Buang TUDM to the officers, men and women of the RMAF after delivering his Prime Directives as the new Chief of RMAF.

General Affendi did not mince words when speaking to the audience about the tough times that the RMAF will face. “We must ensure that our assets and people are prepared and competent to undertake these challenges without compromising the integrity of the sovereignty of our nation, and at the same time be able to service the general population in times of need,” he added.

General Affendi thanked his predecessor General Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Roslan bin Saad TUDM who has just retired for leaving a solid foundation for the former to work on to ensure that the RMAF remains relevant to the nation.

General Affendi then outlined the focus areas of his Prime Directive – Preparedness, Effective Maintenance Culture, Magnificent Human Capital Development, Technological Migration, Excellent Management Culture and Welfare.

Stressing especially on human capital development General Affendi said that trained next generation air force’s (AF-NG) personnel need to possess traits like intelligence, analytical, robust, IT-savvy, forward thinking and innovative. For this to be achieved, competency-based training and assessment (CBTA) will be given to all levels of personnel.

Speaking to reporters after the ceremony General Affendi stressed that CBTA will complement real-life competency requirements, especially for the front-line pilots whose skills need of certain competency-level.

“The budget constraints will no doubt hamper us from carrying out many things. However, the RMAF has been thinking outside the box and have been adapting to the situation by emphasising on technology such as the use of simulators to complement actual flying for the pilots. This would allow us to maintain our levels of skills and readiness even with a dwindling budget,” he said.

“At no time will the RMAF allow for anything that would cause to undermine the sovereignty of the nation. That is the reason we exist and that is our main objective,” he said in reply to questions on budget constraints as well as the development in the South China Sea.

On the question of the floods in the East Coast of the Peninsular, General Affendi said the RMAF is closely monitoring the developments. As of yesterday, a EC-725 helicopter has been deployed to the Gong Kedak Airbase to assist with flood relief operations if needed.  More helicopters will be deployed depending on how the situation develops.

RMAF EC-725 helicopter in action during the floods in the East Coast in 2014
RMAF EC-725 helicopter in action during the floods in the East Coast in 2014

On LIMA ’17, General Affendi said that the planning had commenced a year ago and the RMAF is committed towards providing the best air show.  Foreign air display teams have been invited. However, there is no confirmation from any of the teams invited as of today.

On the question of assets procurement General Affendi stressed that although there is a budget constraint the Government has allowed the RMAF to plan for assets procurement including the Multi-Role Combat Aircraft.  These assets would be procured once the budget is there.

Earlier, a handing-over and taking-over ceremony took place for the Air Support Commander and Air Operations Commander posts.  Lieutenant-General Dato Paduka Wan Normazlan bin Che Jaafar TUDM took over the Air Support Commander post from Lieutenant-General Dato’ Hj Abd Mutalib bin Datuk Hj Ab Wahab TUDM who in turn took over the Air Operations Commander post from Lieutenant-General Dato’ Sri Ackbal bin Hj Abdul Samad TUDM who is now the Deputy Chief of the RMAF.

General Dato’ Sri Hj Affendi bin Buang TUDM who is also the first RMAF Chief from Sarawak was given a guard of honour comprising of three RMAF officers and 104 other ranks from the RMAF Regiment led by Major Mohd Syafik bin Saadun TUDM.

General Affendi saluting the RMAF colour
General Affendi saluting the RMAF Regiment’s colour