The Malaysian Ministry of Defence is considering buying fifth generation fighter jets from France, the United States and Russia if the process of getting the F/A-18 Hornet jets from the Royal Kuwait Air Force takes too long.
According to Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, it is part of an effort to replace all RMAF aircraft by 2040. Malaysia has stopped using the obsolete MIG-29 Fulcrum fighter jets with the process of replacing them supposed to be done under the Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) programme which has been delayed for more than a decade.
The purchase of the F/A-18 aircraft is only a temporary measure as it is a fourth generation fighter aircraft before the government plans to buy new types of aircraft by 2040. Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin did not specify which fifth generation aircraft models are being considered but only the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II and Sukhoi Su-57 Felon meet the criteria set by the defence ministry.
The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) is still in the design stage and only exists in the form of mock-ups. The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is difficult to buy because the United States has set various conditions such as not being able to use Chinese telecommunications equipment. Finally, the Sukhoi Su-57 Felon would cause diplomatic problems if purchased by Malaysia because Russia is subject to economic sanctions by the United States.