Malaysian Military Aircraft Serial Numbers

Copyright © 2004 Jos Heyman
(HTML formatting by Andreas Parsch)

The Royal Malaysian Air Force, known as Tentera Udara di Raja Persekutuan, was established on 1 June 1958. It was renamed as Tentara Udara Diraja Malaysia (TUDM) on 16 September 1963.

Initially aircraft were serialled in the sequential order in which aircraft were received in a format of FM (for Federation of Malaysia) followed by 4 numerials. Eg FM1001 was a Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer, the first aircraft serialled under this system. Later FM serials were assigned out of sequence, eg Australian CA-27 Sabres carried an FM number based on their Australian serial, at first, and their construction number, at a later date. Also at a later date, there is a suggestion that serials were assigned in blocks, with the first two characters identifying the type, eg two Fokker F-28s acquired in 1975 were serialled FM2101 and FM2102 whilst the first batch of Lockheed Hercules, acquired in 1976, were serialled FM2401/2406.

In the mid 1980s a designation system, not unlike the Australian designation system, was introduced in which the aircraft type was identified by a M number, followed by a sequential serial number. The M series was commence with M20 and all existing aircraft were reserialled. The reason for commencing with M20 is not clear but may have been a loose recognition that there had been aircraft type in service before this new system was introduced. In general serial numbers have been issued sequentially, although there has been one instance were sub-types were assigned serials in block numbers.

M Number Type Serials
M20Aerospatiale Alouette IIIM20-01/29
M21De Havilland Canada DHC-4A CaribouM21-01/18
M22Canadair CL-41G TebuanM22-01/11
M23Sikorsky S-61A-4 NuriM23-01/42
M24H.S. HS.125-400BM24-01/02
M25Scottish Aviation Bulldog 102M25-01/13
M26Bell 47G SiouxM26-01/08
M27Cessna 402B UtililinerM27-01/12
M28Fokker F-28M28-01/02
M29Northrop F-5E, F-5F, RF-5E, F-5EM29-01/14, M29-15/18, M29-19/20, M29-21/22
M30Lockheed C-130H HerculesM30-01/16
M31Canadair CL-600 ChallengerM31-01/02
M32Douglas TA-4PTM, A-4PTMM32-01/06, M32-07/40
M33Pilatus PC-7 Turbo TrainerM33-01/44
M34Macchi MB.339AMM34-01/13
M35Grumman HU-16B AlbatrossM35-01/02
M36Aerospatiale AS 332LM36-01
M37Dassault Falcon 900M37-01
M38Agusta A.109CM38-01/06
M39Sikorsky-Agusta AS-61NS Sea King M39-01/02
M40BAe Hawk 100, 200M40-01/10, M40-21/38
M41Beech 200 Super King AirM41-01/04
M42SME MD3-160M42-01/20
M43Mikoyan MiG-29NM43-01/18
M44CASA-Nurtanio CN-235M44-01/06
M45McDonnell Douglas F/A-18DM45-01/08
M46Sikorsky S-70 Black HawkM46-01/02
M47Canadair Regional JetM47-01
M48Canadair BD700 Global ExpressM48-01
M49Mil Mi-17M49-01/02
M50Pilatus PC-7 Mk 2M50-01/09+
(M51)(No confirmed data; possibly Eagle 150 ARV ?)
M52Bombardier BD700(not taken up?)
M53Boeing 737-700BBJM53-01
Earlier types not in M series
 Percival Provost T.51 
 Handley Page Herald 
 NAA(CAC) F-86 (CA-27 Sabre 32) 
 Scottish Aviation Pioneer CC.1,2 
 Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer 

Recently the Royal Malaysian Navy, known as Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM), has adopted a similar designation system in the M500 series.

M Number Type Serials
M499Westland Wasp HAS.1 
(M500)(No confirmed data; possibly Beech 1900T ?)
M501Westland Super LynxM501-01/06
M502Aérospatiale AS555 Fennec 
Earlier types not in M series
 Beech 1900T 




Comments and corrections to: Andreas Parsch



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Last Updated: 7 September 2004