Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) chief General Tan Sri Mohd Asghar Khan Goriman Khan has confirmed that the United States – as the original equipment manufacturer of the Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornet – has cleared the way for Malaysia to acquire the aircraft.
This green light is a prerequisite under US arms transfer protocols.
The deal involves around 30 aircraft, comprising both single-seat F/A-18Cs and twin-seat F/A-18Ds, currently in service with the Kuwait Air Force (KAF). Kuwait acquired 39 Hornets in the 1990s, following the first Gulf War, and is replacing them with Eurofighter Typhoons and Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets.
The potential sale of these airframes to Malaysia has been under discussion since at least 2021. But the plan encountered multiple snags – including political instability in Kuwait and production delays at Boeing, which affected the delivery of the Super Hornets (dubbed ‘Rhinos’) to Kuwait, in turn pushing back the phased retirement of the older C/D models.
As recently as June 2023, then defence minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan reiterated Malaysia’s interest in acquiring the Kuwaiti Hornets. That same month, the RMAF dispatched a technical team to Kuwait to resume talks. Twentytwo13 has since learnt that the deal has progressed significantly.
The long-running negotiations received a major boost following an official visit to Kuwait last June by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, accompanied by a senior Malaysian delegation, including the RMAF chief. During the trip, Khaled met key Kuwaiti leaders and visited Ahmad Al-Jaber Air Base – home to KAF’s three Hornet squadrons.
The Kuwait Air Force is expected to declare full operational capability for its Super Hornets by 2027. Only then will the legacy Hornets be released to Malaysia.
The issue now is that the delivery of Kuwait’s Rhinos hinges on the completion of deliveries of 47 Super Hornets ordered by the US Navy as attrition replacements. Boeing is obligated to fulfil the US Navy’s order before delivering aircraft to Kuwait.
The RMAF currently operates eight F/A-18D Hornets and 18 Su-30MKM Flankers as its primary combat aircraft. In 2022, the government approved an upgrade programme for the Hornets under the SCS-29C (M) package, managed by G7 Global Aerospace. The enhancements reportedly included improved radar warning receivers, communication systems, and datalink upgrades – although plans to install cutting-edge AESA radars and Link-16 capabilities did not materialise.
These upgrades are part of the RMAF’s broader strategy to extend the operational lifespan of its fleet. Under a revised roadmap, the Hornets and Su-30MKMs are expected to remain in service into the 2040s. The Su-30MKMs are set to be upgraded to the ‘Super Flanker’ standard, similar to India’s Su-30MKI modernisation blueprint. However, this plan may be constrained by contractual limitations with Sukhoi, the Su-30’s original manufacturer.
This strategy aims to narrow the ‘capability gap’ identified in a 2022 Twentytwo13 report, which warned that without timely upgrades, acquisitions, and a new multirole combat aircraft (MRCA) programme, Malaysia risked falling behind regional air power standards.
Interestingly, the Malaysian-Kuwaiti Hornet deal could extend beyond aircraft acquisition. Twentytwo13 understands that the RMAF will also provide advanced air combat training to KAF pilots, offering a ‘post-graduate’ syllabus covering offensive and defensive operations, dissimilar air combat training (DACT), and suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD).
This training would take place across Malaysia’s three Air Combat Manoeuvring Instrumentation (ACMI) ranges, with real-time telemetry sent to Tactical Air Combat Training (TACT) centres in Butterworth and Kuantan. RMAF aircraft would carry ACMI pods to record and analyse each sortie for debriefing.
This training arrangement follows a setup similar to that of the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s Peace Carvin detachments in the United States. Under the proposed arrangement, Kuwait is also expected to establish a detachment in Malaysia, potentially comprising several airframes, along with support infrastructure and maintenance facilities.
On Feb 1, 2024, Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari told Parliament that the procurement was in its final stages, pending documentation between the KAF and the US. He said both parties had agreed in principle for Malaysia to take delivery of the 30 Hornets “immediately” once clearance was finalised.
While the acquisition may still be influenced by broader geopolitical factors – including Malaysia’s acceptance as a BRICS ‘partner country’ in late 2024 – senior officials remain confident that the deal will go through.
After years of delay, political ambivalence, and shifting priorities, Malaysia’s ‘Desert Hornets’ are finally within reach.
Main image: RMAF
