Amid claims and counterclaims by competitors vying for Malaysia’s MiG-29 replacement program, officials from the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) indicate that the country is likely to select the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) built FA-50 Golden Eagle light combat aircraft....
To read the full article, please log in or enter your email below:
Amid claims and counterclaims by competitors vying for Malaysia’s MiG-29 replacement program, officials from the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) indicate that the country is likely to select the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) built FA-50 Golden Eagle light combat aircraft.
Earlier, India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) CMD R Madhavan had claimed that the South East Asian nation had identified the Indian-manufactured single engine Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA), pipping Hürjet supersonic advanced trainer and LCA made by Turkish Aerospace.
“The RMAF chief (Gen Asghar Khan Goriman Khan) has evinced keen interest in the FA-50 compared to the other vying aircraft, as it is an affordable and efficient supersonic advanced light attack platform,” an official said on condition of anonymity. “The deal is expected to go through if the current government comes back to power in the coming elections.”
Malaysia is expected to conduct early general elections before the term of the current Parliament ends in July 2023.
Since the retirement of its MiG-29 and F-5E fighter jets from frontline roles in the late 2010, the RMAF has been considering several options for over a dozen new aircraft including the possibility of acquiring new Russian fighters such as the Yak-130 and MiG-35, also known as the MiG-29 M2 aircraft, and the Sino-Pakistani JF-17 fighter jets.
Malaysia’s Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein also seems be interested in acquiring the South Korean FA-50 after he termed the aircraft as a “reliable platform based on good reputation.”
A senior official from KAI also confirmed: “Malaysia is in advanced talks with us. The two countries believe that bilateral cooperation in the defence industry can become a symbol of mutual trust and a robust strategic partnership.”
South Korea’s Defense Minister Suh Wook met with his Malaysian counterpart Hishammuddin Bin Tun Hussein in April this year and the the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation. Suh also used the opportunity to promote the FA-50 light attack aircraft.
“The FA-50 will certainly give Malaysia an upper hand,” the KAI official said.
The FA-50 was awarded military type certificate by the Korean Military Aircraft Airworthiness Committee (MAAC) in October 2012. It is the first fighter-class military aircraft to receive the MAAC certification.
The indigenously developed KAI FA-50 light attack aircraft replaced the ROKAF’s ageing fighter fleet of F-5E/F and A-37 aircraft. The aircraft was developed in collaboration with Lockheed Martin in the late 1990s and first introduced into service in 2005. It is powered by a General Electric F404 turbofan, can reach speeds of Mach 1.5 and has a flight range of 1,850 kilometers (1,150 miles).
The FA-50, which is based on the T-50 supersonic advanced trainer platform, is offered as an affordable and efficient supersonic advanced light attack platform. Recently, Colombia’s Air Force selected a mix of TA-50 and FA-50 as its next jet trainers. In the Asia Pacific region, Thailand has acquired eight KAI T-50 lead-in fighter trainers, adding to four aircraft it acquired in 2015.
Northrop Grumman and Hanwha have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in connection with South Korea's Mine Countermeasures Helicopter (KMCH)…
Lockheed Martin, Nokia and Verizon (NYSE: VZ) today announced the successful integration of Nokia's military-grade 5G solutions into Lockheed Martin's…
Lockheed Martin and the F-35 Pax River Integrated Test Force (ITF) recently completed an initial flight test integrating the Long…
The United States Air Force (USAF) has designated its new Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), being developed and built by General…
French water treatment company BIO-UV Group has dispatched a second BIO-SEA ballast water treatment system to the United States for…
Neutral Air Partner (NAP) has introduced NAPAY, a payment solution designed for its network members. The system was developed in…
DHL Group is expanding its electric vehicle (EV) logistics and supply chain solutions in the Asia Pacific region with the…
Air Astana will introduce a direct flight between Almaty and Da Nang, Vietnam, starting on 4th June 2025. The service…
Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin has handed over 700 Maung MV3 special vehicles, produced by PT Pindad, to the Indonesian…
Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin has handed over 700 Maung MV3 special vehicles, produced by PT Pindad, to the Indonesian…
AARONIA AG presented its latest advancements in drone detection and electronic warfare at Enforce Tac 2025, held in Nuremberg from…
Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), the parent company of Malaysia Airlines and Firefly, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with…
The Business Aviation Asia Forum & Expo (BAAFEx) is set to hold its inaugural edition from 4–6 March at Singapore’s…
PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) and Dassault Aviation have inaugurated the Dassault Aviation-PTDI Design Office on the fourth floor of PTDI’s…
L3Harris Technologies and Shield AI will collaborate on a demonstration to enable an electronic warfare (EW) operation with AI-enabled unmanned…
The Spanish Air and Space Force has said that it sees, the 'Hürjet' training aircraft as well positioned to replace…
Total passenger demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), was up 10.0% in January this year compared to the same…
Pratt & Whitney's GTF Advantage engine has achieved U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type certification for the Airbus A320neo family.…
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) will receive the two first Boeing KC-46A aerial refueling aircraft in 2026 . The other…
Israel Shipyards has begun the construction of the first of five Reshef class warships for the Israeli Navy. The 2.8…
Russia has accelerated efforts to incorportate laser technology to some of its operational air defence systems. As part of continuous…
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems on Thursday announced an approximate 50/50 partnership for the establishment…
Defence trade fair Euro Defence Expo (EUDEX) and the annual conference of the NATO Joint Air Power Competence Centre (JAPCC)…
Ramco Systems, a global aviation software provider has announced the successful implementation of its Aviation Software at Philippine Airlines for…
Singapore’s Ministry of Defence has announced that Brigadier-General (BG) Cai Dexian, currently Commander, 3rd Singapore Division will take over from…
Lockheed Martin has showcased a new counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) solution in a recent field demonstration, highlighting its ability to…
The Indonesian Navy (TNI Angkatan Laut / TNI AL) has launched the service's second Bung Karno-class corvette, KRI Bung Hatta…
ASELSAN recorded revenues of 120 billion TL (over 3.2 billion USD) in 2024, marking a 13% increase from the previous…
ITA Airways and Lufthansa Group have initiated a codeshare agreement, linking their route networks for the first time. This arrangement…
Chemring has provided a trading update ahead of its annual general meeting, reporting a record order book of £1.35 billion…
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
2025 GBP all rights reserved.