Status of TUDM. Included are the status of combat aircraft and transport/tanker aircraft, last updated on the 14th December 2025. 20th December 2025 Sc - open source

The Silent Mapping of Sarawak: China’s Grey-Zone Fleet Tightens Its Grip Right now, a quiet but deeply troubling shift is happening just off the coast of Sarawak. Tracking data up to June 10, 2026, reveals that China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels are practically making themselves at home inside the Malaysian Maritime Zone (MMZ). If you look at the paths taken by CCG 5302 and CCG 5403, these ships sailed straight down from Hainan and immediately settled into slow, overlapping patrol loops around South Luconia Shoals (Gugusan Beting Patinggi Ali) and North Luconia Shoals (Gugusan Beting Raja Jarum). They aren't just passing through on a normal transit; they are loitering at speeds as slow as 1 to 8 knots. This places them right in the backyard of Malaysia's vital offshore oil and gas fields, hanging over local operations like a permanent shadow. Meanwhile, CCG 5309 is tightly patrolling around Ardasier Bank (Permatang Ubi), and the massive 12,000-ton "Monster Ship" (CCG 5901) is holding its ground near Vanguard Bank, keeping intense pressure on the western edges of the eastern MMZ. What makes this situation truly alarming is how seamlessly China is pairing these coast guard escorts with specialized research and survey vessels. The data shows that the advanced research ship XIANG YANG HONG 33 traveled all the way down from Guangdong, working its way through the West Philippine Sea before pushing deep into the waters off Sarawak. Alongside it, support vessels like YUE ZHAN YU ZHI 20026 and YUE XIA YU ZHI 20027 are believed to have been busy conducting surveys, marine research or water sampling around Gugusan Semarang Peninjau (GSP). Under international maritime law (UNCLOS), no foreign country is allowed to map the seabed or conduct marine research inside another nation's EEZ without explicit permission. By completely ignoring this rule, these ships are freely mapping the ocean floor, collecting sonar data, and tracing underwater topography. It is an unauthorized intelligence-gathering operation happening right under Malaysia's nose. This isn't a random, one-off scientific expedition either; it is a highly coordinated, rotating pattern. Before heading over to Terumbu Peninjau (Investigator Shoal), this exact same trio—XIANG YANG HONG 33, YUE ZHAN YU ZHI 20026, and YUE XIA YU ZHI 20027—spent a significant amount of time mapping the complex underwater environment around Luconia Shoals. This entire fleet, acting under the close protection of the CCG, originally targeted the reefs of the West Philippine Sea before moving smoothly southward into East Malaysia’s waters. By floating seamlessly across these maritime borders, Beijing is essentially treating the shared waters of Southeast Asian nations as one giant, continuous research laboratory, methodically mapping the region’s continental shelf block by block. If there was ever any doubt about how closely these ships work together, satellite imagery from June 6, 2026, strips it all away. Captured at Terumbu Laya (Dallas Reef), the image provides undeniable "ground truth" proof of a physical gathering at sea. You can clearly see the survey vessels YUE ZHAN YU ZHI 20026 and YUE XIA YU ZHI 20027 bunched tight against the research ship XIANG YANG HONG 33 right along the edge of the reef, while CCG 5309 sits perfectly positioned nearby to act as an armed shield. This snapshot proves these aren't independent civilian science boats that accidentally drifted off course. They are operating as a single, unified unit, using the muscle of the China Coast Guard to lock down the area and secure their illegal mapping operations. This situation puts a spotlight on the massive contrast in how regional neighbors handle these "grey-zone" tactics. Manila has adopted a policy of "assertive transparency"—they openly confront CCG ships, embed journalists on patrol vessels, and fire off immediate diplomatic protests the second a Chinese research ship slips into their EEZ. Kuala Lumpur, on the other hand, has stuck to its traditional "quiet diplomacy," preferring behind-the-scenes talks and avoiding any public call-outs or friction on the water. But this difference in pushback has created a lopsided reality: while Chinese fleets face intense public exposure and friction in Philippine waters, they find a path of much less resistance in the MMZ, allowing them to map Malaysia's seabed with almost zero operational risk. Ultimately, this ongoing silence from the federal government is a gamble with Malaysia's maritime future. In diplomacy, staying quiet for too long can easily be misread as "tacit acquiescence"—a silent thumbs-up. Because Beijing is facing zero public pushback or official diplomatic friction from Putrajaya, it slowly normalizes their presence. Without any real opposition, China will only grow bolder. It is a slippery slope that could eventually lead to Chinese assets openly interfering with PETRONAS or foreign drilling company operations, aggressively pushing back local Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) or Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) patrols, or harassing local fishermen trying to make a living. To make matters worse, there seems to be a serious disconnect between the federal government and the state of Sarawak. Because national security and foreign policy are strictly handled in Putrajaya, the true scale, intensity, and sheer frequency of these daily incursions are likely not being fully shared with Sarawak's leadership. It leaves the local government largely in the dark about a massive grey-zone threat operating right on their doorstep. This is a critical blind spot, especially when you consider that if things ever escalate out at sea, it is Sarawak’s offshore energy lifelines and maritime sovereignty that are directly on the line.

𝗠𝗔𝗝𝗟𝗜𝗦 𝗣𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗨𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗡 𝗣𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗞𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗡 𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗨𝗡 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗙𝗔𝗛 𝗥𝗢𝗗𝗭𝗜𝗔𝗛 SEMPORNA, 10 Jun 2026 - Markas Wilayah Laut 2, Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) hari ini telah dengan rasminya melaksanakan Majlis Pembubaran Pangkalan Laut Tun Sharifah Rodziah (PL TSR) sebagai simbolik penamatan perkhidmatan pangkalan tersebut selepas hampir sedekad menjadi benteng hadapan dalam menjaga keselamatan dan kedaulatan perairan negara di Sabah Timur. Majlis yang penuh istiadat ketenteraan ini telah disempurnakan oleh Yang Berbahagia Laksamana Madya Dato’ Khir Junaidi bin Idris, Panglima Armada Timur. Pangkalan ini pada asalnya merupakan sebuah Platform Mobile Offshore Production Unit yang dikenali sebagai Hercules 259 dan telah dibina di Houston, Amerika Syarikat pada tahun 1973. Melalui usaha sama strategik antara TLDM, PETRONAS dan Sapura Kencana, platform ini telah ditransformasikan menjadi sebuah Pangkalan Laut Hadapan berteraskan keperluan strategik negara bagi memastikan kehadiran berterusan TLDM di kawasan berkepentingan tinggi di perairan Sabah Timur. PL TSR mula beroperasi pada 31 Julai 2015 dan seterusnya telah dirasmikan oleh Perdana Menteri Malaysia Ke-6 pada 28 Mei 2016. Pangkalan ini dinamakan bersempena nama isteri kepada Perdana Menteri Malaysia yang pertama, Allahyarhamah Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Dato' Seri Hajah Sharifah Rodziah binti Syed Alwi Barakbah. Sepanjang tempoh perkhidmatannya, PL TSR telah digunakan sebagai sebuah platform strategik yang menyokong pelaksanaan operasi keselamatan maritim, pemantauan zon berkepentingan maritim serta memperkukuhkan kehadiran pasukan keselamatan di Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZONE). Lokasinya yang strategik membolehkan tindak balas yang pantas terhadap sebarang ancaman keselamatan, sekali gus menjadi simbol komitmen berterusan TLDM dalam mempertahankan kedaulatan negara. Walaupun operasi PL TSR ditamatkan, fungsi dan peranannya sebagai pangkalan hadapan akan diambil alih oleh Kapal Auksiliari Tun Azizan (KA TAZ) bagi memastikan kesinambungan kehadiran dan kesiagaan operasi TLDM di kawasan strategik Sabah Timur. TLDM akan terus memperkukuhkan keupayaan operasinya selaras dengan keperluan semasa serta perkembangan landskap keselamatan maritim demi menjamin kedaulatan dan keselamatan perairan negara sentiasa terpelihara. #tenteralautdirajamalaysia #Markaspemerintahanarmadatimur #kdsrisemporna #KDSriTawau #NavyUpdate

The research vessel ZHONG SHAN DA XUE was detected conducting seawater sampling operations upon entering the Malaysian Maritime Zone. Images show numerous water containers at the vessel’s rear. Based on AIS data, it is believed this activity occurred along the entire travel track

An F/A-18D Hornet of the RMAF made an emergency landing at Kota Kinabalu Airport (KKIA) after experiencing left engine flame out. Both pilots are safe.

My best wishes are with both pilots.. Take care and swift recovery..

13 May – Two F/A-18D Hornets from No.18 Sqn based in Butterworth were spotted at PU Labuan on the 12th. i) M45-04 ii) M45-08 Labuan, WP 12th May 2026 SC - tt/LBU_Spotter