Quick access to main page (top) Direct access to main contents Quick access to main page (bottom)

Malaysia Set to Double Down on KAI’s FA-50 Supersonic Light Attack Aircrafts

theguru Views  

Malaysia appears to be set to acquire additional FA-50 supersonic light attack aircraft developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). After importing 18 FA-50s from KAI last year, negotiations are set to begin to purchase an additional 18 units this year.

According to the Malaysian state-run news agency Bernama, on the 8th, KAI expects the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) to purchase 18 additional FA-50M light fighter jets and order 36 planes in total.

Park Sang Shin, head of KAI’s Asia International Business Development Team, participated in the DSA&NATSEC 2024 (Defense Services Asia, National Security Asia), Asia’s most prominent defense exhibition, held in Kuala Lumpur from the 6th to the 9th (local time). Park stated, “The second round of negotiations on the deployment of fighter jets is expected to begin in the second half of 2026 and be completed by early 2027.”

He said, “Malaysia is delighted with the contract fulfillment, and the first deployment is progressing smoothly, so the likelihood of additional adoption is very high. If the RMAF wants the same platform as the first deployment, the next deployment will continue.”

Malaysia signed a central contract with KAI in February last year to introduce 18 FA-50 fighter jets. In May of the same year, they held a final export contract ceremony for $920 million.

KAI plans to deliver the first two units in October 2026, with the remaining 16 units by the end of 2027. As of March, KAI’s RMAF FA-50M light fighter assembly rate reached 26.7%.

Malaysia’s FA-50M model is more advanced and superior to the FA-50s employed by the Korean Air Force and other regional countries, such as Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

Team leader Park said, “The Malaysian Air Force will get the most advanced light fighter jet model” and added, “Only the Malaysian and Polish Air Forces have chosen this model equipped with a state-of-the-art active electronic scanning array radar and a multi-functional radar.”

Malaysia purchased domestic aircraft operated by major Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines due to high satisfaction.

Since introducing the FA-50, the Malaysian Ministry of National Defense has considered acquiring 36 light combat aircraft. Before the purchase contract, it had submitted a budget for acquiring 36 RMAF light combat aircraft worth $1.46 billion to the Ministry of Finance.

theguru
content@viewusglobal.com

Comments1

300

Comments1

  • Start paying and you can have some jets

[ASIA] Latest Stories

  • Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Time Spec Breaks Tsukuba Circuit Record, Cementing EV Performance Legacy
  • North Korea Sends Young Volunteers to Dangerous Jobs Under the Guise of Voluntary Participation
  • Tension Soars in South Korea’s Presidential Security: Arming Guards with Heavy Weapons After Resignation
  • Democrats Call for Accountability, Push to Investigate Yoon’s ‘Bloodshed’ Tactics
  • Hundreds of Trucks Deliver Scrap Metal Across North Korea for New Year Push
  • 1 Million Chinese Citizens Apply for Asylum During Xi’s Rule, As Repression Increases

You May Also Like

  • 1
    Blackberries vs. Raspberries: Which Berry Is the Low-Calorie King?

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 2
    Why Some People Gain Weight on Salads—and Others Don’t

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 3
    This Vitamin Could Help You Fight Fatigue, Infections, and More

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 4
    Olive Oil on an Empty Stomach – Hype or Health Miracle?

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 5
    Why Guava Is a Must-Have for Anyone Watching Their Blood Sugar

    LIFESTYLE 

Popular Now

  • 1
    Parkinson's Puzzle: Study Explains How PINK1 Gene Fights Cell Damage

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 2
    Feeling Drained No Matter How Much You Sleep? Here’s Why

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 3
    Hope for Alzheimer’s? Anti-Amyloid Treatments Linked to 50% Lower Risk

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 4
    Can Eating Only Boiled Eggs Really Help You Lose Weight?

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 5
    New Study: Daytime Drowsiness Could Raise Dementia Risk by 100%

    LIFESTYLE 

Must-Reads

  • 1
    Blackberries vs. Raspberries: Which Berry Is the Low-Calorie King?

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 2
    Why Some People Gain Weight on Salads—and Others Don’t

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 3
    This Vitamin Could Help You Fight Fatigue, Infections, and More

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 4
    Olive Oil on an Empty Stomach – Hype or Health Miracle?

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 5
    Why Guava Is a Must-Have for Anyone Watching Their Blood Sugar

    LIFESTYLE 

Popular Now

  • 1
    Parkinson's Puzzle: Study Explains How PINK1 Gene Fights Cell Damage

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 2
    Feeling Drained No Matter How Much You Sleep? Here’s Why

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 3
    Hope for Alzheimer’s? Anti-Amyloid Treatments Linked to 50% Lower Risk

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 4
    Can Eating Only Boiled Eggs Really Help You Lose Weight?

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 5
    New Study: Daytime Drowsiness Could Raise Dementia Risk by 100%

    LIFESTYLE 

Share it on...