Najib: ‘Not as though they are F-18 engines’

“They are very old engines… they are not state-of-the-art. So, it is not of strategic asset to the nation. It is not as though they are Sukhoi or F-18 engines.”

(Bernama) – Although the two stolen Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) fighter jet F-5E engines traced to Uruguay were not strategic assets to the nation, no effort would be spared to recover them, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today.

He said the engines were more than 35 years old as they were purchased, way back in 1972. Speaking to reporters after a walkabout in Kampung Baru here today, the prime minister said each engine cost about RM303,000.

“They are very old engines… they are not state-of-the-art. So, it is not of strategic asset to the nation. It is not as though they are Sukhoi or F-18 engines,” he said.

Najib said the engines were of a generation of aircraft which were no longer frontline aircraft anymore, in terms of capability and technology.

Yesterday, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said the Uruguay Government had located the two stolen engines and efforts were underway to bring them back.

The engines were reported stolen from two RMAF facilities on Dec 20, 2007 and Jan 1, 2008.

Two people have been charged in the sessions court to stealing the engines. They claimed trial.