Construction of 18 FA-50M jets on track, first delivery set for 2026, says Mohamed Khaled

JINJU (SOUTH KOREA): Construction of the 18 FA-50M light fighter jets ordered by Malaysia has reached 39% and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) is expected to receive the first batch of these jets in 2026, says Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

He said all of these light fighter jets are being built according to schedule in South Korea.

The procurement of the FA-50M is part of the RMAF Capability Development Plan 2055 (CAP55).

“We definitely need to increase our air assets because our airspace is vast and requires an effective air force to carry out its role.

“We purchased the FA-50M last year and I visited the manufacturing plant in South Korea to observe the construction progress of the FA-50M and to see what advantages the aircraft offers,” he said after his visit to the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Hanwha Aerospace here.

According to Mohamed Khaled, KAI and Hanwha Aerospace are the military asset manufacturers responsible for building Malaysia’s 18 FA-50M fighter jets.

“Although KAI is responsible for manufacturing the FA-50M, the F404 engine it uses is built by Hanwha Aerospace,” he said.

The Defence Ministry (Mindef) and the South Korean aerospace company signed a contract in May last year for the acquisition of 18 FA-50M (Malaysia), valued at approximately RM4bil.

Mohamed Khaled said the acquisition of the FA-50M would further strengthen the Malaysian Armed Forces, especially the RMAF, in safeguarding the security and sovereignty of the nation’s airspace.

When asked whether Mindef plans to acquire additional air assets besides the FA-50M, he said that other air asset procurements depend on the planning of the RMAF and the country’s finances.

“Under RMAF’s CAP55, we have listed (the purchase of air assets) and we hope the government can meet the needs as previously planned by Minder,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Khaled also witnessed the signing of the second phase of the Industrial Collaboration Programme (ICP) between Malaysian company Ikramatic Systems Sdn Bhd and KAI.

In a media interview, Ikramatic executive director Syed Mohamad Ikram said the ICP allows Ikramatic and KAI to jointly develop two types of flight simulators – the Full Mission Simulator and the Operational Flight Trainer.

He said both simulators would be used to train FA-50M pilots in the country by 2026.

“One of the ICP (components) carried out is the co-development of the simulator system with a local company, which includes sharing knowledge and expertise to advance the local industry.

“We, Ikramatic, have been chosen as the ICP recipient by KAI due to our 26 years of experience in building locally made flight simulators,” he said.

Syed Mohamad added that when KAI audited his company, they were confident in Ikramatic’s experience and quality as a company.

“KAI chose us as one of the manufacturers for their project because we are not a South Korean company,” he said.

In December last year, Ikramatic signed the first-phase contract and was appointed as a vendor to KAI for its overseas project.

Ikramatic completed the first phase of the FA-50M simulator design in the first quarter of 2024 and is now in the final stages of the second phase of design before transitioning to the construction phase.

In March, Bernama reported that the key difference between RMAF’s FA-50M and other FA-50 variants is that the RMAF version will be equipped with Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and the latest electronic components, as well as air-to-air refuelling capabilities.

The FA-50M variant purchased by RMAF will also be equipped with the ability to launch precision-guided missiles and bombs.