Malaysia Chooses Korean FA-50 As Singapore Adds More F-35s | Aviation International News

Malaysia Chooses Korean FA-50 As Singapore Adds More F-35s

Coincidentally on the same day, neighbors Malaysia and Singapore announced new buys of combat aircraft.

KAI FA-50 — An FA-50 takes off with a load of six inert Mk 82 bombs. (Photo: KAI)

By Chris Pocock • Defense Correspondent

February 26, 2023

After a long delay, Malaysia has chosen the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) Fighting Eagle for its Light Combat Aircraft/Fighter Lead-In Trainer (LCA/FLIT) requirement. The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) made its choice in mid-2022, but the procurement was not confirmed until three months after a new government took power last November.

KAI said that the order for 18 FA-50s was worth $920 million and that deliveries would begin in 2026. The Korean jet was preferred to three other contenders: the Indian Tejas, Sino-Pakistani JF-17, and Russian MiG-35. The RMAF retired its squadron of MiG-29s in 2017 without a replacement. That has left the service with two combat aircraft squadrons, one flying Sukhoi Su-27s and the other with Boeing F/A-18D Hornets, but the latter comprises only six aircraft, and the RMAF has been eyeing similar jets that are being retired by the Kuwait air force.

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