MALAYSIAN EXPERIENCE AND CHALLENGES IN OP PIRAMID

MALAYSIAN EXPERIENCE AND CHALLENGES IN OP PIRAMID

2 FEB TO 11 FEB 2011

SCOPE

• BACKGROUND

• CHRONOLOGY

• INTER AGENCIES COORDINATION

• PHASES OF OPERATION

• CHALLENGES

BACKGROUND

3

• Political turmoil escalated and caused severe unrest in Egypt

• Malaysian Government decided to pull out thousands of Malaysian from riot torn Egypt

• Students and others to be evacuated to a safer place before returning to Malaysia

• RMAF to deploy C130Hs to Middle East W.I.E

• Non Combatant Evacuation Operation (NEO) code-name OP PIRAMID activated

• RMAF deployed 3 X C130H-30 within 24 hours of “GO decision” to King Abdul Aziz International Airport, Jeddah

CHRONOLOGY

SER DATE EVENT

1. 28 Jan Unrest situations in Egypt

2. 1 Feb PM announced to evacuate Malaysian

3. 2 Feb 1st C130H departed 1500H, 2nd and 3rd C130H at 2200H

4. 3 Feb All C130H at Abu Dhabi and Al Ain awaiting dip clearance to enter Saudi Arabia

5. 4 Feb All C130H arrived at Jeddah1st evacuation flight 2115H

6. 7 Feb Evacuation ended total of 7,392 Malaysian evacuated 3,482 by C130H (18 sorties)2,150 by MAS (1 x B747)1,760 by Air Asia (1 x A340 and 1x A320)

7. 11 Feb 3 C130H Arrived SUB AB

INTER AGENCIES COORD• National Security Council (NSC)

– PM’s decision– Overall Coordinator

• Ministry of Foreign Affair– Diplomatic Clearance– Pax manifest and coordination at pick up points

(Cairo and Alexandria)

• Ministry of Education– Students’ name list

5

INTER AGENCIES COORD

• Lembaga Tabung Haji– Accomodation and messing in Jeddah

• Other Agencies– Malaysia Airlines (MAS)– Air Asia– Press Representatives

6

PHASES OF OPERATION

7

1. Planning and Preparation

2. Deployment and FOB Setup

3. Evacuation Process

4. Recovery

PHASES OF OPERATION1. Planning and Preparation:

a. Ad-hoc Air Staff organization led by RMAF Air Operation Commander

b. Pro-active preparation started when unrest situation started (Assets, Aircrew, Tech crew and security forces were put on standby)

c. Upon receipt of ID fm CDF, monetary and diplomatic clearance processes initiated

d. Transit and evacuation shuttle route plan

e. 3 sorties/ac daily (based on flight time, embark and disembark estimates)

8

PHASES OF OPERATION

2. Deployment and FOB Set up:

a. 3 x C130H-30 departed on 2nd Feb to Abu Dhabi initially (only Maldives, India and UAE issued flight approval)

b. 2 x C130H diverted to Al Ain Airport - sand storm in Abu Dhabi

c. Waited 15 hrs before Saudi issued flight approval to Jeddah (FOB)

d. Ops Room set up at Hotel The Grand Saha, Jeddah (differ from initial plan at Airport)

9

PHASES OF OPERATION

3. Evacuation Process

a. 3 sorties in 2 days instead of 3 sorties daily

b. Differ from initial plan due to airport bureaucracy Jeddah, Cairo and Alexandria

c. Seat on the cabin floor for max pax

d. 18 sorties carried out with 3,482 students evacuated

e. RMF 497 and 498 for Cairo and RMF 499 for Alexandria

10

PHASES OF OPERATION

11

4. Recovery10 1320HFEB Jeddah to Subang

TASK/DATE 4 FEB 5 FEB 6 FEB 7 FEB TOTAL

RMF 497 210 200 200 200 200 185 1195

RMF 498 190 200 200 196 198 187 1171

RMF 499 212 197 199 200 200 108 1116

TOTAL 612 1196 596 1078 3482

CHALLENGES

1. TIME AND SPACE

2. 3RD PARTY INVOLVEMENTS

3. LOGISTIC SUPPORT

12

13

a. Short notice i.e. within 24 hrs lack of coordination (internal and external)

b. Long transit : 18 – 20 hrs flt time (excluding tech stop and flight approval to FOB) and from FOB to pick up points: Cairo (3.0) / Alexandria (3.5)

c. 24 Hrs operations : crew alertness, competencies, vigilant

d. Traffic jammed : All nations were doing same thing in Jeddah, Cairo and Alexandria caused long delay and reschedule (refuel and ground supports, slot time, parking space)

1. TIME AND SPACE

14

e. Space for parking, spares and ground support facilities – no hangar facilities for storage and major repair at Hajj terminal and no airport security (RSAF offered airbase towards the end of the mission and it was very late)

f. Uncertain security at the airports – RMAF abandoned plan to have RMAF Air Movement team at each airport to facilitate movement of pax (again resulting long delay situations)

g. C130H too small for huge numbers of pax (SOP 111 pax)

Cont ..1. TIME AND SPACE

15

a. Dip Clrn thru Wisma Putra normally requires 14 days prior departure fm many states; Indonesia, Maldives, India, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt

b. Funding allocation through MoF – min 48 hrs approval (NSC supported the cash payments)

c. Immigration, Custom and Security – Visa, medical eqpt sp and other airport bureaucracy required long hours of checking time esp Jeddah

d. Landing rights – RMAF and Air Asia were required to obtain approval from Saudi and Egypt

2. 3RD PARTY INVOLVEMENTS

LOG SUPPORT BY RSAF

1. After CoAF requested from RSAF CoAF

2. No 4 Sqn from RSAF rendered security and technical support (LOX and Nitrogen) throughout the mission

3. 2 x armed security personnel attached to the aircraft around the clock

4. 1 x liaison officer to address all issues

FLIGHT ROUTE

• SUBANG -

SUBANG

MALDIVES

ABU DHABI

JEDDAH

CAIRO

FORWARD OPERATING

BASE

KING ABDUL AZIZ INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA

19

20

FOB

21

FOB

22

FOB

PARKING AREA

23

PARKING AREA

24

EVACUATION ROUTE

ALEX

CAIROPORT TAWFIQ

3.0H

3.5H

26

LOCATION OF MALAYSIAN STUDENTS

27

AIRCRAFT CONFIGURATION

EVACUATION PROCESS

28

29

EVACUATION PROCESS

30

EVACUATION PROCESS

31

ALEXANDRIA

EVACUATION PROCESS

32

33

EVACUATION FROM ALEXANDRIA

CONCLUSION

• RMAF took the challenge to assist government in herculean efforts to evacuate Malaysian from riot torn Egypt

• “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going”, hold true for the RMAF crew

• 18 sorties carried out with 3,482 pax

• Mission completed in 72 hours @ rate of 6 sorties/day