Royal Malaysian Air Force Chief Gen. Affendi Buang was in Labuan, East Malaysia to mark the service’s 59th anniversary and he told the local reporters that a technical team has been formed to evaluate the feasibility of operating second-hand P-3s from the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF).
海上自衛隊 [CC BY 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
“The technical team will determine whether we can support the aircraft operation and whether it is suitable with our capability. These will be focused on by our team to ensure our decision will uplift our maritime patrolling capability.
“At the moment, we are looking at several options for maritime patrol aircraft because we are a maritime nation, and the ever changing situation in the South China Sea.
“Therefore, we are putting emphasis on acquiring sophisticated maritime patrol assets which can accomplish our missions effectively,” Affendi was quoted as saying.