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To immortalize the meeting, Malaysians and French pose in front of the aircraft of the latter: three Rafale and A400M. © RFI / Romain Mielcarek

Since 19 August, a detachment of the French Air Force has embarked on a tour of South East Asia, called "Pegase", to meet its allies in the region, including Malaysia. An unfamiliar terrain for airmen looking for new partnerships in the face of emerging threats.

From our special envoy to Kuala Lumpur,

When two different air force officers cross each other, they first talk about golf - "Airmen's sport" -, then of the football world cup - victory of the tricolor forces - and finally of their planes. In the matter, the French came out on August 24 and 25: three Rafale fighters and two A400M transport are deployed on the tarmac of the Subang Air Base, near the capital, to seduce the Malaysians.

" Our goal is to reinforce the cooperation on the A400M ", summarizes the general of air force (2S) Patrick Charaix, head of the Pegase mission, about this stopover. The Malaysians have indeed bought four copies of this European aircraft developed by Airbus. Particularly sophisticated, this one requires modern working methods. This is where France comes to help Kuala Lumpur: a senior officer, specialist in mechanics and aeronautical management, is present permanently to advise the staff on its procedures and its organization, since 2015.

France, first supplier of weapons

Located in the heart of a region particularly courted because of the strong economic growth of several countries, Malaysia needs to renew a large part of its defense equipment. Which is good for the French, whose industrials are well established on the archipelago: they are the first arms supplier of Kuala Lumpur. In the past, major contracts have been signed, including for submarines, ships, exocet missiles and the famous A400M.

" The big question, " says Dzirhan Mahadzir, a Malaysian journalist specializing in military matters, " is whether Malaysia has the means and what the new government intends to do, since it has not given any indication on the subject. Operational capabilities are an ongoing topic, with equipment availability a recurring problem from year to year. "

A hope for the Rafale?

So why not Rafale? Two Malaysian unit commanders, themselves fighter pilots, were invited to test the aircraft. An officer of their team sums up the dilemma of his army, in terms of supplies: " Our main problem is that we have both Western and Russian planes. We, the operational ones, we know which planes are good. But it is the politicians who decide. And they often choose what they see most. The Typhoons, for example, come every two years. "

If the operatives preferred to have a single plane to fulfill all the missions and to simplify the logistics, the politicians also keep a crucial problem in mind: to multiply the suppliers, it is to avoid being dependent with respect to a single great power. In this area, France often asserts the great freedom enjoyed by its customers, Paris avoiding to be too intrusive in their domestic affairs.

The Typhoon, European competitor of the Rafale , could he convince the government? Could the Russians place their Su-35, which has already convinced Indonesia? The various observers remain very divided, some believing that the French plane has all its chances on this market, the others that it is too early and that the finances of Malaysia will not allow him such an investment for many years. Paradoxically, Dassault, the manufacturer of the device, is the most pessimistic: " It was a real prospect at one point," he says. But this is no longer the case. They can not afford. "

Malaysian worries

Malaysia faces several security threats. Terrorism has affected it several times, through operations led by Abu Sayyaf , a jihadist group very active in the Philippine neighbor, as well as by Katiba Nusandara , claiming ISIS and bringing together fighters from all over the country. -region.

The Malaysian military is also seeking to win the trust of its major international partners. It has, in this capacity, participated in several major international operations such as that of NATO in Afghanistan with about fifty men or the UNIFIL in Lebanon where it has about 800 blue helmets.

China and its land claims, finally, remains a matter of major concern. Beijing continues to impose its presence in the South China Sea, while Kuala Lumpur is struggling to voice its claims on islands that belong to it.

France, directly concerned

These tensions with China are also at the heart of French concerns in the region. Paris has multiplied military maneuvers, mainly maritime, to make Beijing understand that there was no question of giving up the free movement in international spaces. Malaysia is therefore becoming a strategic ally in the region: the Air Force would like to benefit from Airbus facilities within a year to support the A400M. This aircraft, increasingly used by French forces, could then land in Kuala Lumpur to be refurbished between two missions in Asia-Pacific, multiplying the maneuvering capabilities of the Air Force.

If France is redirecting part of its strategy to this region, it is obviously because the prospects for economic growth are generating many opportunities. But it is also because Paris has the feeling of being a leading player in this part of the world, with more than 7,000 soldiers permanently present in several territories and military bases going from Polynesia to the Arab Emirates. United.