KUALA LUMPUR: The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) will send a technical team to Kuwait in September to assess 38 F/A-18 Legacy Hornet fighter jets offered to Malaysia.
RMAF Chief General Datuk Seri Muhamad Norazlan Aris (pic) said that the mission received official approval from the United States, the country of origin of the aircraft, which then allowed access to documentation and maintenance records.
"The team will evaluate the jets on-site over two to three weeks. These are used aircraft, so we must assess long-term viability, particularly maintenance requirements.
"There's no point in acquiring a large fleet if we can't maintain them for operational readiness,” he told reporters after delivering his inaugural address as RMAF Chief at the Subang Air Base on Wednesday (July 23).
He added that delivery timelines would depend on when the Kuwaiti Air Force receives its new fleet of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets.
"If they receive four new jets, four Legacy aircraft will be released to us, and so on,” he said.
Also present were RMAF Deputy Chief Lt Gen Datuk Nur Hafis Abdul Karim, Air Operations Commander Lt Gen Datuk Masro Kaliwon, Air Education and Training Commander Lt Gen Datuk Muhammad Tarminzi Mustapha and Air Support Commander Maj Gen Ahmad Khusairi Ahmad Fadhli. - Bernama
