MALAYSIAN EXPERIENCE AND
CHALLENGES IN OP PIRAMID
2 FEB TO 11 FEB 2011
SCOPE
• BACKGROUND
• CHRONOLOGY
• INTER AGENCIES COORDINATION
• PHASES OF OPERATION
• CHALLENGES
BACKGROUND
• 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
3
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 Jeddah
1st 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
1. Planning and Preparation
2. Deployment and FOB Setup
3. Evacuation Process
4. Recovery
7
PHASES OF OPERATION
1. 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
4. Recovery
10 1320HFEB Jeddah to Subang
TASK/DATE
4 FEB
5 FEB
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
6 FEB
596
7 FEB
1078
TOTAL
3482
11
CHALLENGES
1. TIME AND SPACE
2. 3RD PARTY INVOLVEMENTS
3. LOGISTIC SUPPORT
12
1.
TIME AND SPACE
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)
13
Cont ..1. TIME AND SPACE
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)
14
2. 3RD PARTY INVOLVEMENTS
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
15
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 CAIRO
ABU DHABI
JEDDAH
SUBANG
MALDIVES
FORWARD
OPERATING
BASE
KING ABDUL AZIZ INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA
19
FOB
20
FOB
21
FOB
22
PARKING AREA
23
PARKING AREA
24
EVACUATION ROUTE
ALEX
PORT TAWFIQ
CAIRO
3.0H
3.5H
LOCATION OF MALAYSIAN
STUDENTS
26
AIRCRAFT CONFIGURATION
27
EVACUATION PROCESS
28
EVACUATION PROCESS
29
EVACUATION PROCESS
30
ALEXANDRIA
31
EVACUATION PROCESS
32
EVACUATION FROM
ALEXANDRIA
33
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