Every war the Royal Malaysian Air Force has fought
For its first years the Malaysian air force flew transport and communications while British, Australian and New Zealand squadrons did the fighting, in the Emergency and in Indonesia’s confrontation with Malaysia from 1963 to 1966. Its one modern combat operation, against the armed men who landed at Lahad Datu in Sabah in 2013 to press the Sultanate of Sulu’s claim, is given with the Malaysian government’s casualty figures, attributed as such. Where a consolidated sortie or loss figure exists in the official record it is given here; where accounts disagree, the range is shown and the disagreement named. Blank cells are blank because no figure could be verified, not because the fighting was small.
From the Malayan Emergency to Lahad Datu in 2013.
| Conflito | Anos | Contra | Aeronave principal | Missões | Aeronave perdida | |
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| A Emergência MalaiaOperação Cão de BombeirosMalayan volunteer air units; Royal Federation of Malaya Air Force from 1958 | 1948–1960 | Exército de Libertação Nacional da Malásia | Communications aircraft (types unconfirmed) | — | — | |
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A minor supporting role: the air campaign was flown by the RAF, RAAF and RNZAF; the new Malayan air force, formed in 1958, flew communications and support. The Emergency began on 16 June 1948 and ended on 31 July 1960. The RAF grouped its air operations under Operation Firedog, from heavy bombers to helicopters for casualty evacuation; the RAAF flew Lincolns and C-47s and extended Butterworth, and the RNZAF flew Vampires and Venoms from 1955. The RMAF’s own history says only that its early missions were air communications and operations against the communists; Wikipedia’s RMAF article describes its role as initially limited to communications and support of ground operations. Resultado Declared over on 31 July 1960. The Malayan air arm’s contribution is described only in general terms by the sources reached.
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| Indonesia–Malaysia confrontationKonfrontasiRoyal Malaysian Air Force | 1963–1966 | Indonésia | Twin Pioneer | — | — | |
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Transport and communications alongside Commonwealth air forces; Malaysian air defence was provided by the RAF. The confrontation ran from 20 January 1963 to 11 August 1966. Indonesia made airborne and seaborne infiltrations into Peninsular Malaysia in August 1964; one Indonesian C-130 crashed into the Strait of Malacca while trying to evade an RAF Javelin. The air war on the Commonwealth side was carried mainly by the RAF with Australian and New Zealand units. The RMAF, renamed on 16 September 1963, flew transport and communications; the sources reached give no RMAF sortie or loss figures. Resultado Ended with the agreement of 11 August 1966. Indonesian casualty figures are given as a range; Indonesia’s own figures were not reached.
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| Communist insurgency in Malaysiathe Second EmergencyRoyal Malaysian Air Force | 1968–1989 | Malayan Communist Party | CL-41G Tebuan, CAC Sabre, F-5Ee mais 1 | — | — | |
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Air support, transport and helicopter lift for security forces against the Malayan Communist Party’s armed wing. The insurgency ran from 17 June 1968 to the peace accord signed at Hat Yai on 2 December 1989. It coincided with the air force’s first jet types — the Tebuan from 1967, Sabres from 1969 and F-5Es from 1975 — and with the Nuri helicopters. The sources reached do not describe individual air operations or RMAF losses, and the aircraft list reflects types in service during the conflict rather than confirmed combat use of each. Resultado Ended by the Hat Yai peace accord of 2 December 1989. Aircraft use and casualty figures are poorly sourced; treat as indicative.
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| Lahad Datu standoffOps DaulatRoyal Malaysian Air Force | 2013 | Armed followers of Jamalul Kiram III | F/A-18D Hornet, Hawk 208 | — | 0 | |
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Opened the security operation with air strikes and then provided close air support over a no-fly zone. About 235 armed men landed near Lahad Datu from 11 February 2013 to press the Sultanate of Sulu’s claim to eastern Sabah, on the instructions of Jamalul Kiram III. The Philippine government under President Benigno Aquino III opposed the incursion. After weeks of negotiation Malaysia launched Ops Daulat on 5 March: three F/A-18D Hornets and five Hawk 208s bombed the group’s positions before ground forces moved in. Malaysia counted 56 intruders killed; the Sulu side’s own figures were not reached. Resultado The intruders were defeated; the operation ended on 24 March 2013. Intruder deaths are the Malaysian government’s count.
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Nada corresponde a essa pesquisa.
Cada número, verificado
- TUDM: Sejarah TUDM (official history page)Air Force Ordinance passed by Parliament on Monday 2 June 1958; Air Commodore A.V.R. Johnstone appointed first chief on 3 June 1958; renamed Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia on 16 September 1963.
Figures verified 2026-09-30. Back to the Royal Malaysian Air Force.