the hawk 208 is actually a versatile, good (and cheap) choice for the rmaf to cover territories in borneo as the geography is huge, coastlines long, and seaborne patrol requirements intensive and extensive. up to now, the only major threats in east malaysia are from insurgents north of sabah, pirates and smugglers along the coast, foreign fishing boats off the coast. friendly terms with the failippines and indonesia help to tone down need for high tier air assets. hawk 208 can be used for many roles with a much lower cost: fighter, interdiction, air defense, air support, ground attack, patrol, anti-smuggling, air presence, plus it’s easier to train pilots for this aircraft, and the need for a reasonable quantity to cover vast territories. sometimes, a low tier fighter is all that is needed to show air presence and defend air space. don’t need a high tier fighter-interceptor like the typical air superiority aircraft when countless regular mundane sorties are required to interdict in remote areas. however, this pla incursion of not 1 but 16.9 planes may change that (16.9 as at least 1 awac-type plane is further behind monitoring and controlling the incursion), especially when more future incursions are expected. may be a squadron of air superiority interceptors may pose a bigger deterrence if plan shows up with a carrier. all conjectures so far, but situation will escalate when plaaf and plan are involved. they are gunning for any escalation and (weaker) neighbors to tempt fate. bunch of backyard bullies.
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