Beli Second Hand Bayar Harga Second Hand Jangan Pula Bayar Harga Rolls Royce Baru

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 Let me say upfront that the FA18 is a superb airplane. 
The FA18 has served us quite well. During the 2013 "give us the Felda land that you promised us" attack by the Sulu people in Lahad Datu, Sabah it was the FA18 that dropped JDAM bombs on the Sulu fellows. About 100 Sulus were killed.

Did you know that the earlier FA18s were bought (in the 1990s) when guess who was the Deputy PM? Isnt it a coincidence now?
There was a technical issue with the FA18s at that time.
No less than Tun Dr Mahathir said that the Americans did not give us something called a 'source code' for our FA18s to fully engage in combat operations. 
Source code simply means some software programming. 
Without full access to the 'source code' we could not send the FA18 on combat operations anywhere we wished.
But the FA18s were able to drop bombs in Lahad Datu. 
Maybe source code said Lahad Datu ok. 
Here is some news:


 



Malaysia to acquire F/A-18 Legacy Hornet aircraft from Kuwait
Kuwaiti air force has 39 Hornets, in service since 1992
recently been modernised to keep them up to date.
Kuwait to acquire 28 new F/A-18 Super Hornets.My Comments :
The problem with the Malaysian media is that they never ask what is the price of the item being discussed? Or what shall be the approximate cost (to the Malaysian taxpayer) to buy these LEGACY (aka 2nd hand) FA18 planes?
How many FA18s exactly are being purchased and for how much?

According to this website here:       In 2018, Kuwait finalised a deal worth US$1.17 billion for 28 of the more advanced Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, to replace the older C/Ds.
So US1,170 million / 28 = US$41.8 million per FA18 in 2018. 
That is about RM200.0 million for each brand new FA18 in 2018.
I also asked Google about the price of a brand new FA18. Google said :

US$66 million is about RM308 million per brand new FA18 in 2020, according to Google.
These prices are for BRAND NEW FA18s. 
So what is the price for a used FA18?
They use the fancy word 'LEGACY' planes.
They are buying 2nd hand planes. Ok. But how much are we, the Malaysian taxpayer, going to be paying for these 2nd hand jet  planes?

Beli 2nd hand bayar harga 2nd hand ok.
Jangan pula beli 2nd hand, tapi bayar harga Rolls Royce baru pula.Since our taxpayer's money is involved can the Malaysian public please be informed exactly how many FA18 planes we are considering to buy and for how much? 
And what about the 'source code' issues?
Can the RMAF fly these FA18s on all required missions, without being "restricted" by any source code restrictions?
Can drop bombs outside Malaysia tak?

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.
By Syed Akbar Ali 

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