The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) was formed on 2 June 1958 as the Royal Federation of Malaya Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Persekutuan). However, its roots can be traced back to the Malayan Auxiliary Air Force formations of the British Royal Air Force

Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...

 in then colonial British Malaya

British Malaya

British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...

. Today, the Royal Malaysian Air Force operates a unique mix of modern US, European and Russian-made aircraft.
The Malaysian air forces trace their lineage to the Straits Settlements Volunteer Air Force and the Malaya Volunteer Air Force first formed in 1940 and dissolved in 1942 during the height of the Japanese advance over Malaya.