ÿÈÕ´óÈü

SUBANG: The Royal ÿÈÕ´óÈün Air Force (RMAF) may accelerate its Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) procurement programme if challenges in acquiring F/A-18C/D from Kuwait continue.

Its chief, General Datuk Seri Muhamad Norazlan Aris, said timeline and technical requirements were key considerations in deciding whether the RMAF would proceed with the acquisition or shift to a "Plan B" to ensure the country's airspace readiness is not compromised.

He said that, to date, Kuwait has not set a fixed date for the delivery of the aircraft, as it depends on the country receiving its own F/A-18 Super Hornets first.

"According to Kuwait, the aircraft can only be considered for transfer 12 to 18 months after they receive the Super Hornets, which they signed for in 2016.

"As of the day I returned (from Kuwait), they still do not know when they will get their Super Hornets.

"There is no date yet. So I said 12 to 18 months after receipt. Even until now, no acquisition date has been set by Kuwait for their Super Hornets," he told reporters at a press conference at the RMAF Excellence Day.

Norazlan said that ÿÈÕ´óÈü had expressed interest in the aircraft since 2017.

However, with the RMAF planning to operate the fleet until 2035, the remaining timeframe is increasingly tight.

In addition to delays, he said technical constraints and conditions from the United States required extra time before the aircraft could be operated by the RMAF.

"We also received an official letter from the US embassy stating that even if we receive the Kuwaiti aircraft, we cannot fly them immediately.

"Software modifications are required, and these modifications will take another 15 months," he said.

As such, he said, any decision must be carefully made based on logistical support and sustainability to avoid becoming a future burden.

"What we do not want is to make a wrong decision that may create problems later… there are several very specific factors that must be considered if we intend to acquire the Kuwaiti aircraft," he said.

The MRCA programme forms part of the RMAF 2055 Capability Development Plan (CAP55), a long-term government strategy to modernise the nation's air fleet in phases.

Under CAP55, the RMAF aims to acquire two MRCA squadrons to replace the existing Sukhoi Su-30MKM and F/A-18D Hornet aircraft by 2035–2040.

Commenting on the "Plan B" if the Kuwaiti Hornet acquisition fails, Norazlan said the RMAF would focus on acquiring FA-50 light combat aircraft, while also potentially accelerating the MRCA programme originally scheduled for the second or third phase of CAP55.

"If we see that the aircraft are still insufficient to meet operational needs… there is a possibility that we will push forward our MRCA programme.

"There are possibilities. We have to look closely at this, as we need to assess operational requirements and the country's financial capacity," he said.

Regarding the FA-50 development, he said Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has committed to completing six aircraft by the end of next year, with deliveries of the full 18 aircraft scheduled to begin in 2027.