KUALA LUMPUR: The acquisition of second-hand F/A-18 fighter jets from Kuwait is only a short-term measure to fill the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s (RMAF) capability gap, says Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
The Defence Minister said the fighter jets were part of a stopgap plan and not meant to replace the country’s long-term goal of acquiring new, advanced aircraft.
"Multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) procurement will take place under the 14th Malaysia Plan," he said in a parliamentary written reply dated Friday (Oct 10).
"However, this (acquisition of the Kuwaiti jets) has not been finalised, as a decision will only be made after the Royal Malaysian Air Force joint committee or technical team makes a working visit to Kuwait to comprehensively assess the aircraft."
Hassan Abdul Karim (PH-Pasir Gudang) had asked if the ministry planned to acquire new, modern fighter jets instead of "second-hand and outdated" aircraft, following the Aug 21 crash involving an F/A-18D Hornet in Kuantan.
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On the crash, Khaled said official investigations found that the incident was caused by a bird strike on the aircraft’s engine and unrelated to any technical failure.
"As such, the F/A-18D remains safe to operate until around 2035 to 2040," he said.
He added that the RMAF’s Sukhoi Su-30MKM fleet, now 18 years old, had already undergone a service life extension programme.
Khaled added that the Sukhois would soon undergo a mid-life upgrade to ensure their operational safety and relevance until 2040.
He said the move is in line with the RMAF Capability Development Plan 2055.
