Berita Harian reported HERE that Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the engines were in Uruguay and were brought back to Malaysia after their return was secured by attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail.
He said that he could not give the actual date on which the engines were brought back to the country, but it was by the efforts of the attorney-general, who went to Uruguay in February to arrange the return of the engines.
On February 5th, The Star reported :
The two missing F5E jet engines have been found in Uruguay with the help of the government there, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said on Friday.
Thanking the Uruguay government for its cooperation in recovering the engines, he said that the Malaysian government is “aggressively pursuing the matter” and is proceeding with the “necessary procedures for the return of the two engines.”
The discovery was due to the efforts and close collaboration of the two governments, he said in a statement.
Abdul Gani also thanked the Uruguayan ambassador to Malaysia Pablo Sader for the assistance his embassy rendered.
The F-5E jet engines which were purchased in 1975 cost RM303,570 and were reported missing in 2008. It was reported that two J85-GE-21 jet engines, which power the F5 fighters, had been stolen from two RMAF facilities while some components from the same planes were also unaccounted for.
At THIS LINK, Abdul Gani was reported to have said that engines were taken out of the RMAF base on Dec 20, 2007 and Jan 1, 2008, and sent to a godown in Subang Jaya. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the engines were discovered missing from the Sungai Besi RMAF airbase during routine maintenance service. Also missing were its maintenance and service records.
Well, how can one be very sure that the two jets that were returned are the same ones that went missing? Since its maintenance and service records are missing, can any one confirm the serial numbers of the engines that were brought back to Malaysia are the same ones that went missing? How come there is no firm confirmation about this fact? Who helped Abdul Gani to confirm that these are the same jets? How come this news only appeared in Berita Harian and then quoted in Malaysiakini HERE?
If they cannot even confirm the dates when the jets went missing, how it went missing and many other unanswered questions, are we expected to believe this news? What happened in Uruguay and how will this mystery be solved???? Who can give us the answers to these questions and put the pieces of the puzzle together so that we can see a clearer picture?
Anonymous Why would any arms dealers be interested in this particular version of the jet engines?
The Uruguayan's A37 Dragonfly jets use a different non after burning(earlier and lower thrust) version of the engines used in the F5E jets of the RMAF. Physically they also look different and is shorter.
Can these F5E engines be modified for the A37 jets. Very doubtful!
Besides Uruquay is not under US arms embargo but Iran is! And Iran uses the exact type of F5E jet engines in their Saegeh jets.
Just figure it out lah!
~wits0~