The Malaysian Air Force is actively strengthening its forces with a plan to purchase 18 light fighters
According to the announcement, the final two candidates for the competition
the Korean FA-50 by the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and the Indian LCA Tejas by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
And it seems that South Korea is leading in the race to supply fighter jets to Malaysia
Chinese media reported that the country is poised to sign an export contract for 18 FA-50s for $1 billion “as early as next week.”
Participating in the Malaysian light fighter competition are Pakistan’s JF-17, Russia’s MiG-35 and Yak-130, and Turkey’s Hurjet
However, these aircraft are no longer in the race due to multiple factors
According to Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, the negotiation between Malaysia and South Korea is in its final stage
This was in line with earlier reports that a senior KAI official purportedly told a Singapore-based media outlet that Malaysia could select KAI’s F-50 over the LCA-Tejas
The latest revelation represents a significant blow for the Indian Tejas, which was widely regarded as the top contender for this contract
According to reports, India proposed a package deal to establish an MRO facility in Malaysia for its Russian-origin Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet fleet
R Madhavan, Chairman and Managing Director of HAL, previously said, “It is almost in the final stages
We are the only country offering them the support for their Su-30 aircraft as well
as other than Russia, we are the only ones who can support them to the extent they require for that fleet
The open architecture computer systems of the HAL Tejas are constantly advertised as having the ability to integrate both Western and Russian armaments
This was anticipated to be one of the key elements that would help India win this contract
The militaries of India and Malaysia operate both NATO and Russian weapons
The report said that KAI wants to equip the exportable FA-50s with localized AESA radars and air-to-air missiles that can simultaneously detect multiple targets
The FA-50, equipped with combat data processing, self-protection systems, and precision-guided weapons, is modeled on the airframe of KAI’s T-50 trainer
The South Korean air force has employed the aircraft since 2013
However, there is still some uncertainty around the deal.
Negotiations between Malaysia and Korean Aerospace Industries for procuring 18 fighters have lately reached a snag
According to The Times of India, Malaysia’s finance ministry has returned the proposal to purchase 18 FA-50 planes
requesting that KAI stick to the basic price of 3.5 billion Malaysian ringgit (RM)
KAI had set the price at RM 4.2 billion, well over the RM 3.4 billion for the Chinese JF-17 and the RM 3.75 billion for India’s indigenously developed Tejas-MARK1
The price per unit for the Tejas and the FA-50 is about $28 and $30 million, respectively
The FA-50 Fighting Eagle is a supersonic light attack fighter designed by KAI in partnership with Lockheed Martin of the United States.
It is a multirole fighter variant of the ‘T-50’ line, which comprises supersonic trainers, light combat aircraft, and multirole fighters
According to data released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
South Korea accounted for only about 1% of global defense exports between 2012 and 2016
thereby helping Seoul become the 8th largest defense exporter in the world and 2nd in Asia but this figure has skyrocketed to 2.8% over the next five years, as the value of South Korean arms exports increased by 177%,
but this figure has skyrocketed to 2.8% over the next five years, as the value of South Korean arms exports increased by 177%,