Tentera Laut India Tolak Pesawat Tejas Buatan India. Apakah TUDM Pula Ingin Beli Tejas ?

 I have made several posts about the Light Combat Aircraft or LCA which the RMAF is planning to buy.

Here is one more. Please read my comments below / Sila baca komen saya di bawah.

I saw the following YouTube video which says that the RMAF / TUDM may be buying the Indian "Tejas" Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)  for US$50 Million a piece (RM210 Million each). 

The video suggests that Malaysia may be buying 18 of these Tejas jets for a total of US$900 million or RM3.8 BILLION. 

The fact is the Indian Navy itself has rejected the Tejas aircraft. The news below is FIVE years old, from 2017. Meaning until today the Indian Navy still has not bought the Tejas jet.

The Tejas jet is presently operated only by the Indian Air Force. No other country in the world has bought or plans to buy the Tejas.

Here is the Indian newspaper The Hindu about the Indian Navy rejecting the Tejas jets:

 

"After declaring the naval version of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas unfit for operating from aircraft carriers in its “present form,” the Indian Navy has launched a global hunt for a carrier-based multi-role fighter aircraft."

Here is another YouTube video which lists some of the many problems faced by the Tejas jet. 

My comments :

Threat No 1 : Why should Malaysia even consider buying a jet fighter that took over 35 years to develop (from 1983)? And India is not recognised as a manufacturer of fighter jets. They just do not have the technological capacity. In 70 years the Tejas is only the second "Made-in-India" jet fighter.  Both (the previous 'Gnat' and now the Tejas) had limited success or were unpopular with the Indians themselves

I do not know if the RMAF is also considering the Turkish jet. The Turkish jet is not operational yet - still in its development phase. 

Threat No 2 :  Why would anyone pay US$50 million (RM210 million) for a 2nd rate, never bought by anyone Indian jet?

In Malaysia we always pay Rolls Royce prices for 2nd rate and 3rd rate products. Or we pay way above market prices for products and services.

Imported cars are sold here for much higher than the world market prices. For example the Toyota Camry sells in the USA for about RM126,000. Here in Malaysia the Camry starts at around RM188,000 - which is almost 50% higher than in the USA. What does this mean? This means we are really, really stupid. Bodoh macam nak mampus. 

We always get cheated by the cronies and the crooks who control the APs, licenses, permits and whatever. 

Back to buying weapons - in Malaysia we also pay billions of Ringgit for 'asap' or 'smoke'. A good example was that RM6.0 BILLION paid for those SIX Navy ships which have disappeared into thin air. RM6 Billion gone but no ships were delivered.

What did they do? They re-ordered FOUR more ships from China for another RM1.2 Billion. More taxpayers money spent. 

Then in 2016 we paid about RM322 million Ringgit for six MD350 helicopters that were also not delivered.  The latest news says they will be delivered in March 2022.

(https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2022/01/15/malaysia-takes-delivery-of-long-delayed-md-530g-helicopters).

If we are going to pay RM210 Million of taxpayers money for one fighter jet then there are other options available for us.

The Chinese JF17 is an equally or more formidable jet fighter at a much lower price. The future of military technology is China - not India, not the USA, UK or Europe.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.