Malaysia, Kuwait To Establish Committee to Begin Talks on Acquisition of KAF’s F/A-18C/D Fighters
The governments of Malaysia and Kuwait have agreed to establish a committee to begin negotiations on the acquisition of F/A-18C/D fighter jets from the Kuwait Air Force.
(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – The governments of Malaysia and Kuwait have agreed to establish a committee to begin negotiations on the acquisition of F/A-18C/D fighter jets from the Kuwait Air Force.
This was stated by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin in his latest Facebook post.
“I also expressed Malaysia’s interest in acquiring the F/A-18 Legacy Hornet fighter jets from the Kuwait Air Force, and received a positive response from them,” the Defence Minister said.
“Malaysia and Kuwait have agreed to form a joint committee to initiate discussions and negotiations for the procurement of the Legacy Hornet fighter jets,” Mohamed Khaled added.
His official working visit to Kuwait began today with a courtesy call on Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister, Defence Minister, and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah, at the Kuwait Ministry of Defence.
During the meeting, Mohamed Khaled reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to strengthening and enhancing defence cooperation between the two countries.
This commitment will be formalized through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which is currently in its final stages.
“The existing relationship between both nations will continue to be enhanced, covering military training and personnel exchanges, information sharing, as well as research and development in defence technology,” Mohamed Khaled said.
He also expressed Malaysia’s firm stance on the situation in Gaza and southern Lebanon, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities and urgent humanitarian assistance.
In an earlier post today, Mohamed Khaled confirmed that he is currently in Kuwait for an official visit, believed to be related to Malaysia’s efforts to purchase the Kuwait Air Force’s F/A-18C/D fighter jets.
The Malaysian delegation includes Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Chief General Tan Sri Mohd Asghar Khan Goriman Khan, Deputy Defence Secretary (Policy) Mohd Yani Daud, and senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and RMAF Headquarters.
The Defence Minister is also scheduled to visit Ahmad Al-Jaber Air Base, where the Kuwait Air Force’s F/A-18C/D fighter jets are stationed.
In June, an RMAF technical team visited Kuwait to hold talks regarding the potential acquisition of the fighter jets.
RMAF Chief General Tan Sri Mohd Asghar Khan was reported to have said that Kuwait’s F/A-18D (Hornet) jets are in good condition and have lower operational hours compared to Malaysia’s existing Hornet fleet.
The Kuwait Air Force operates a total of 39 F/A-18C/D Hornets, comprising both single- and two-seat configurations.
Malaysia plans to acquire the Kuwait Air Force’s F/A-18C/D Hornets as a “stop-gap measure” before the RMAF is equipped with new Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA).
The Kuwait Air Force decided to retire its F/A-18C/D fleet following the acquisition of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and Eurofighter Typhoons.
Kuwait is replacing its F/A-18C/D jets with 28 Super Hornets, consisting of 22 single-seat F/A-18E and six dual-seat F/A-18F variants, which will be based at Ahmed al-Jaber Air Base.
In addition to the Super Hornets, Kuwait has also purchased 28 Eurofighter Typhoons developed by BAE Systems, in a deal estimated at US$8.7 billion (RM38.73 billion). — DSA
