Thursday, March 13, 2008

Saab 2000

RMAF Requirement for AEW&C

The Royal Malaysian Air Force is going to acquire AEW&C aircraft soon!! From the various candidate that has been short listed for the platform, Saab 2000 is going to be chosen.

Background about Saab 2000. There are only 63 in the production since 1992. The production of Saab 2000 has been stopped since 1999 due to less demand by aviation operators. They cannot compete with the Jet engine aircraft.
Saab 2000 is designed for passenger aircraft. Saab AB official web site reported that only 52 aircraft left that still serving the airlines throughout the world. Three of them has been scrapped and eight were keep for storage. Please varify the data from this web site: http://www.planespotters.net/Production_List/Saab/2000/index.html

Malaysia is going to get 3 of this type for AEW&C and 6 for Maritime Surveillance. The question is can Saab support the fleet while the production has been stopped. How are Saab going to support the Malaysian Air Force for the next 20 years or more.

The age of the aircraft is between 9 to 16 years. If the Malaysian Air Force is getting the older production, they are going to operate those aircraft for the next 20 years and plus 18 years and become 38 years.

There is a regulation where the commercial aircraft cannot be flying for more than 25 years and some country limit them to 20 years. Saab AB is seems to be desprate to sell off their aircraft for military use because military did not apply to those regulation.

Pakistan also getting 6 of the same type for their AEW&C.

What do you all think about the decision to procure Saab 2000 as platform for AEW&C?


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