[REVISION HISTORY]
Malaysia FA-50M fighter jet procurement
1 recorded revision of this situation.
What changed
2026-10-31 04:48 UTC → 2026-11-03 01:37 UTC ·
added
removed
Malaysia has begun receiving received its first two KAI FA-50M light combat aircraft from South Korea’s Korea Aerospace Industries. The aircraft, which departed from the KAI facility in Sacheon, transited through the Philippines and Labuan before arriving at their destination. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin announced that an official handover ceremony is scheduled for mid-November jets arrived at Kuantan Air Base. Base via an air ferry route that included stops in Jeju, the Philippines, and Labuan. These jets aircraft are part of a larger contract for an 18 aircraft, unit contract valued at approximately US$920 million, million (1.2 trillion won) signed in 2023. The FA-50M is an upgraded export version featuring Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, Sniper Pod targeting equipment, and aerial refueling compatibility. The fleet is intended to replace the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s Hawk fleet by 2028. 2028, specifically supporting No. 15 Squadron in lead in fighter training and light combat missions. The remaining aircraft two initial jets are scheduled to undergo final acceptance tests before an official handover ceremony, which is expected to be delivered take place in stages mid November. Under the delivery schedule, six jets are expected by April 2027, with the remaining aircraft arriving through early 2028. KAI intends to use this delivery to expand its Performance Based Logistics business and as a potential stepping stone for future sales of the KF-21 fighter jet to Malaysia.
Versions
- 2026-11-03 01:37 UTC Malaysia FA-50M fighter jet procurement
- 2026-10-31 04:48 UTC Malaysia FA-50M fighter jet procurement
Select a version to see what changed compared to the one before it.