The Malaysian Air Force is anticipating a significant boost with the acquisition of 30 F/A-18C/D fighter jets, which are expected to be contracted this year. The seller of these aircraft will be Kuwait, which is gradually replacing them with 28 Eurofighter Typhoon jets purchased for $8.7 billion in 2016.
Deputy Minister of Defense of Malaysia, Adli Zahari, shared information about the chances of finalizing the deal, as reported by the local publication AstroAwani. Currently, final approval has been obtained from Kuwait, but all necessary permits from the United States are also required due to the re-export nature of the deal. It is worth noting that the processing of the agreement for the purchase of Kuwaiti F/A-18 Hornets began in 2024. Specifically, a Malaysian delegation visited Kuwait in October last year to inspect the fighter jets.
From the perspective of Defense Express, it is clear that the Malaysians know exactly what to look for, as they themselves operate 8 F/A-18s, which have been in service since 1997. More importantly, they maintain these aircraft (at the level of scheduled maintenance for 12 years) domestically.
For the Malaysian Air Force, the addition of 30 fighter jets will be a substantial enhancement, as the current combat fleet consists, excluding the F/A-18s, of 18 Su-30MKM, 4 Hawk Mk108 (trainer-combat) and 12 Hawk Mk208, which are light fighters. This means that when considering full-fledged fighters, the fleet would effectively double.
Some sources also mention 8 MiG-29s, but there is information suggesting that they were decommissioned back in 2017. These were new aircraft contracted in 1994 in the MiG-29N (18 units) and MiG-29NUB (2 units) versions for $560 million. Two of them crashed, while the others were apparently retired due to unsatisfactory condition and difficulties in servicing under sanctions.
Regarding the Su-30, the country has learned to repair them independently, using its own facilities, at least this has been officially reported. These aircraft were purchased in 2003 for $900 million. It is possible that India was involved in these operations, either simply removing Russia from the Su-30 modernization program or shielding them from sanctions.
Additionally, it is important to remember that in February 2023, 18 FA-50 Block 20 jets were ordered, representing a version of a full-fledged light fighter, for $920 million. The first batch of 4 aircraft is expected to be delivered by the end of 2026.