SUBANG : The first-ever joint air exercise involving The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) and Indian Air Force (IAF) commenced on Aug 20, 2018 at Subang Air Base.
The EX HOP in-field training witnessed two (2) RMAF Sukhoi SU-30MKM & two (2) IAF Sukhoi SU-30MKI flew off from Subang Air Base on Aug 21, 2018.
At the same time, a pilot from the RMAF also flew with the IAF pilot on the IAF SU-30MKI aircraft.
Prior to that, the RMAF Head of Operations No. 11 Squadron, Lieutenant Colonel Faisal Abu Bakar, said that RMAF could identify the weakness and strength of existing aircraft to be improved in the future through the exercise.
“Through this exercise, we note important information through feedback from IAF when their pilots board our Sukhoi plane and vice versa.
“The EX HOP is organized after the recent Pitch Black exercise, and we find that 90 percent of our aircraft’s capabilities are the same as the IAF aircraft, but we are better off in terms of avionics (electronic systems in the aircraft) and this is a positive thing,” he said.
Indian Air Force official tweeted “IAF & RMAF #JointExercise : In a formal ceremony, exercise was inaugurated by Gp Capt CUV Rao, team leader IAF & Col Mahadzer, Ex director of RMAF. It’s a platform to exchange Knowledge & Good practices with each other. Glimpses of inaugural ceremony….”
