Malaysia plans to replace decommissioned MiG-29 and Su-30

The Malaysian Air Force has a certain number of Soviet MiG-29 aircraft in service, which are currently in storage, as well as an unknown number of Russian Su-30MKM fighters.

Here's What We Know

Malaysia's defence capabilities have historically been heavily dependent on foreign suppliers, particularly Russia. It was one of the main dealers of aircraft, but now the country is looking for other options.

This is primarily due to Western sanctions on the Russian military-industrial complex, which has made it much more difficult to buy aircraft components.

So now one of the countries trying to become Malaysia's partner is South Korea. Last year, a contract was signed to supply Malaysia with 18 Korean-made FA-50 fighters. The two countries also recently held defence talks in Seoul to strengthen their bilateral security partnership.

Malaysia has also renewed efforts to build up its defence industry. It plans to increase its defence budget by 2030 and aims to position itself as a powerful player on the global stage.

Source: Defence News