ID :
185716
Wed, 06/01/2011 - 05:57
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/185716
The shortlink copeid
RMAF PROUD TO HAVE PLAYED MAJOR ROLE IN RELIEF MISSIONS
KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 (Bernama) -- The Royal Malaysia Air Force (RMAF) is proud to have been able to play a major role in various disaster relief operations abroad this year.
And it was all the more significant when Prime Minister Najib Razak recently asked Malaysians to appreciate the sacrifices of this branch of the armed forces.
RMAF chief Gen Rodzali Daud said among the most successful rescue missions RMAF conducted so far this year was when they were successful in bringing back 137 Malaysians from Tripoli following unrest in Libya.
He said despite diplomatic clearance impeding the process, they managed to pull off the mission successfully through the involvement of the National Security Council, the Foreign Ministry and low-cost carrier Air Asia.
"We were also proud to have been able to assist the government in rescuing our citizens in Egypt," he told a news conference in conjuction with RMAF's 53rd anniversary at the Defence Ministry, Jalan Semarak, here recently.
Rodzali said the RMAF also carried out secondary tasks by helping the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) which was ordered to assist tsunami victims in Japan in March, as well as earthquake victims in Christchurch, New Zealand.
"In terms of task implementation, we have also done well during bilateral training with neighbouring countries including Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, the Philippines and Singapore and we are looking forward to other training operations with Five Power Defense Arrangements (FPDA) countries, which may be held in Alaska.
"We hope to get enough funds for this exercise. The Alaska training will take place in Nellis and Moglin," he said.
The force's credibility in boosting the country's defence is also evident as it now owns a solid collection of assets which include jet fighters and other state-of-the-art equipment for combat, communications and weapons purposes.
"We will also obtaining an Airbus aircraft by 2015," said Rodzali.
Rodzali said RMAF was also awaiting delivery of Eurocopter EC725 helicopters whereby training in its use would be done in Egypt in 2012 before they are commissioned in 2013.
He clarified that although the existing Nuri helicopters were still being used, upgrades were necessary to ensure safety and prevent problems with obsolete models.
"This year the RMAF not only wants transformation in the form of additional assets, but also locations of bases deemed old and inappropriate for operations.
"As we all know, the Kuala Lumpur Air Base in Sungai Besi will shut down and relocated to Sendayan, Negeri Sembilan, which will also serve as a training base for our units nationwide," he added.
He said the new RMAF base will also feature a leadership and management centre.
On this year's anniversary which will be celebrated tomorrow with the theme "Engaging The Talent", Rodzali said the focus was on unearthing new leadership talent among RMAF's officers and men to carry on with its "Air Force's Next Generation" (AF-NG) vision which was launched last year.
He said the vision entailed developing highly skilled personnel among the younger generation, the so called Y generation, to take RMAF to the next level of development and maintain RMAF as a credible and formidable air force in the region.
This was because the next stage of development would depend a lot on high technology, he said, adding that human development would be carried out in tandem with assets development which would be state-of-the-art based on cutting edge technology.
Another vital aspect that would be looked into, he said, was to produce personnel who were creative and innovative
And it was all the more significant when Prime Minister Najib Razak recently asked Malaysians to appreciate the sacrifices of this branch of the armed forces.
RMAF chief Gen Rodzali Daud said among the most successful rescue missions RMAF conducted so far this year was when they were successful in bringing back 137 Malaysians from Tripoli following unrest in Libya.
He said despite diplomatic clearance impeding the process, they managed to pull off the mission successfully through the involvement of the National Security Council, the Foreign Ministry and low-cost carrier Air Asia.
"We were also proud to have been able to assist the government in rescuing our citizens in Egypt," he told a news conference in conjuction with RMAF's 53rd anniversary at the Defence Ministry, Jalan Semarak, here recently.
Rodzali said the RMAF also carried out secondary tasks by helping the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) which was ordered to assist tsunami victims in Japan in March, as well as earthquake victims in Christchurch, New Zealand.
"In terms of task implementation, we have also done well during bilateral training with neighbouring countries including Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, the Philippines and Singapore and we are looking forward to other training operations with Five Power Defense Arrangements (FPDA) countries, which may be held in Alaska.
"We hope to get enough funds for this exercise. The Alaska training will take place in Nellis and Moglin," he said.
The force's credibility in boosting the country's defence is also evident as it now owns a solid collection of assets which include jet fighters and other state-of-the-art equipment for combat, communications and weapons purposes.
"We will also obtaining an Airbus aircraft by 2015," said Rodzali.
Rodzali said RMAF was also awaiting delivery of Eurocopter EC725 helicopters whereby training in its use would be done in Egypt in 2012 before they are commissioned in 2013.
He clarified that although the existing Nuri helicopters were still being used, upgrades were necessary to ensure safety and prevent problems with obsolete models.
"This year the RMAF not only wants transformation in the form of additional assets, but also locations of bases deemed old and inappropriate for operations.
"As we all know, the Kuala Lumpur Air Base in Sungai Besi will shut down and relocated to Sendayan, Negeri Sembilan, which will also serve as a training base for our units nationwide," he added.
He said the new RMAF base will also feature a leadership and management centre.
On this year's anniversary which will be celebrated tomorrow with the theme "Engaging The Talent", Rodzali said the focus was on unearthing new leadership talent among RMAF's officers and men to carry on with its "Air Force's Next Generation" (AF-NG) vision which was launched last year.
He said the vision entailed developing highly skilled personnel among the younger generation, the so called Y generation, to take RMAF to the next level of development and maintain RMAF as a credible and formidable air force in the region.
This was because the next stage of development would depend a lot on high technology, he said, adding that human development would be carried out in tandem with assets development which would be state-of-the-art based on cutting edge technology.
Another vital aspect that would be looked into, he said, was to produce personnel who were creative and innovative
