Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI)’s FA-50 Block 20 and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)’s Tejas seem to be the two remaining candidates for Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF)’s Fighter Lead-In Aircraft/Light Combat Aircraft (FLIT/LCA) acquisition program.
While the FLIT/LCA program initially caught the interest of several other aircraft makers, only KAI and HAL agreed on two separate occasions last year regarding the method of payment as specified in the program. It’s worth noting that the total value of the program is MYR4 billion (about USD909.5 million) of which half will be paid with commodities such as palm oil and its downstream products.
The RMAF’s FLIT/LCA program is meant to replace the service’s aging Hawk 108/208 trainer/light attack aircraft that have been in service since the 1990s. The program calls for the acquisition of 18 supersonic aircraft with aerial refueling capability, Beyond Visual Range (BVR) combat, and contain at least 30% of parts that are produced in Malaysia. It also requires the manufacturer to start delivery within 36 months of the contract signing.
FA-50 Block 20 is a further development of KAI’s T-50 trainer aircraft. The two-seater trainer/light combat aircraft has a maximum speed of Mach 1.5, a service ceiling of about 48,000 ft (14,630 meters), and a maximum range of 1,851 km. With a standard armament of a three-barreled 20 mm cannon with 205 rounds, it also has seven hardpoints for air-to-air and air-to-ground armament with a maximum carrying capacity of 3,740 kg.
KAI’s T-50 and its variants have been used operationally by the South Korean Air Force (Republic of Korea Air Force/ROKAF) since 2005. The T-50 family of aircraft also has been exported to five countries including Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand in the South East Asia region
HAL Tejas is an Indian single-seater light multirole fighter with a tailless delta-wing configuration that entered active service in the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2015. The aircraft, including its two-seater trainer variant, has a maximum speed of about Mach 1.6, a 53,500 ft (16,300 meters) service ceiling, and a maximum range of 1,850 km. In addition to its standard armament of a twin-barreled 23 mm cannon, it also has eight hardpoints for various air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons with a maximum carrying capacity of 5,300 kg.
IAF is currently the sole operator of Tejas and has received about 40 from a total of 123 Tejas of all variants that have been ordered.
Hensoldt UK has been chosen by Navantia UK to provide key systems for the UK Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s (RFA) three…
Embraer delivered its 1800th E-Jet aircraft with the handover of third E190-E2 to Royal Jordanian Airlines at Embraer’s facility in…
Havelsan, a Turkiye software and systems company, has attained the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Level D certification for…
ST Engineering Marine Ltd, a subsidiary of ST Engineering, has secured a contract with the Singapore Ministry of Defence for…
Airbus Helicopters has secured a contract with Brunei's Ministry of Defence for the procurement of six H145M helicopters. “We are…
Following the official launch last March, AirAsia Cambodia flew its inaugural domestic flight today, marking a major step in the…
Global passenger demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs), was up 13.8% in March this year compared to the same…
Exel Composites, a Finnish composites manufacturer, announced a collaboration with French airship designer and operator Flying Whales. The partnership aims…
Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) and the state-owned airline of Angola, TAAG Angola Airlines E.P., have entered a six-year agreement…
Indonesia’s Ruang volcano erupted again on Tuesday (Apr. 30), leading to the cancellation of flights and closure of airports in…
Defense Technology Institute (DTI) Thailand has delivered two prototypes of the 105mm light howitzer CS/AH2 to the Artillery Battalion, Artillery…
Airbus has announced the launch of the Pléiades Neo Next programme, aimed at bolstering its high-resolution Earth observation satellite constellation,…
Eve Air Mobility joins Japan’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Public-Private Committee, as announced by the company’s press release on Tuesday…
ACIA Aero Leasing, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, announced the successful delivery of one of two ATR 72-500 Bulk Freighters to…
One TPS-P14ME Mobile Air Surveillance Radar System from Japan was officially handed over to the Philippines Air Force (PAF). The…
Skyllence, an international air charter broker, announced the appointment of Kestutis Abarius as Head of Sales on Monday (Apr. 29).…
Qatar Airways and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have reaffirmed their commitment to aiding the most vulnerable…
The Philippines Coast Guard (PCG) is set to acquire an additional five Multi-Role Response Vessels (MRRVs) from Japan. These vessels…
Korean Air is set to open a new daily route connecting Seoul Incheon with Macau starting 1 July 2024, as…
Qatar Airways Cargo announced the opening of its advanced Animal Centre and the relaunching of its Next Generation Live product…
All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Air India, India's national flag carrier, have established a commercial agreement to initiate a codeshare…
Saab has completed the delivery of another GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to the United Arab Emirates…
In what seems to be a continuation of Vietnam’s Defence Minister General Phan Van Giang's visit to South Korea in…
GD Helicopter Finance (GDHF), a Dublin-based helicopter leasing and finance company, has secured a contract with Airbus Helicopters and GDAT,…
Indian Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) IndiGo has announced a firm order for 30 Airbus A350-900 aircraft in what is its first…
Racer demonstrator, developed by Airbus Helicopters as part of the European Research Clean Sky 2 initiative, has completed its inaugural…
Lockheed Martin Australia has secured an AUD$500 million contract with the Australian Department of Defence to develop the country’s future…
Artemis Aerospace has announced the addition of a hub in Singapore following the launch of two similar sites in the…
ZeroAvia announced plans to offer key components from its hydrogen-electric engines to fellow innovators in the clean aviation industry on…
Challenge Group has announced the launch of Challenge Technic's specialised A-CHECK line at its hangar facility in Hannover on Wednesday…
Headquartered in Singapore with reporters spread across all major regions, GBP Aerospace & Defence is a leading media house that publishes three publications that serve the aerospace and defence sector - Asian Defence Technology, Asian Airlines & Aerospace and Daily News. Known industry-wide for quality journalism, GBP Aerospace & Defence is present at more international tradeshows and exhibitions than any other competing publication in the region.
For over three decades, our award-winning team of reporters has been producing top-notch content to help readers stay abreast of the latest developements in the field of commercial aviation, MRO, defence, and Space.
Copyright 2024. GBP. All Rights Reserved.
Home Defence & Security Space Commercial Aviation Maintence Repair & Overhaul Daily News Events About Us
2024 GBP all rights reserved.