"Eye-Opening Reality —
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad says:
In 2004, Malaysia purchased 8 F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets from the United States, which were among the most advanced aircraft at the time. The value of this deal exceeded 640 million dollars.
After receiving the aircraft, Malaysia formed a team of experts and engineers to conduct a detailed study of their features and combat capabilities.
Malaysian experts discovered that the aircraft was sending every flight's information to a U.S. military base, such as:
Flight altitude
Speed
Location
Route
Mission details
And the pilot's communication with the ground control room
Not only that, but the aircraft's operating system and autopilot feature could also be controlled from the U.S. base.
That is, if a U.S. officer on the ground simply pressed a button, the aircraft's route could be altered, it could be crashed, or even the target of its attack could be changed.
When Malaysia attempted to modify the operating system of these aircraft, the United States and manufacturer McDonnell Douglas strongly objected. They even threatened to withhold spare parts and maintenance, and impose restrictions.
Even when Malaysia requested specific parts to activate certain capabilities of the aircraft, the company rejected that as well.
In the end, Malaysia realized that it had purchased aircraft that could not be used in actual combat until the United States gave its approval.
This issue is not limited to Malaysia alone but many Arab and Muslim [and other] countries face the same reality.
The lesson is clear:
As long as a nation does not develop its own defense technology, it will remain dependent on others."
https://x.com/ArifRetd/status/2033480478259396772