Malaysia wants to buy Korean FA-50 fighters instead of Russian MiG-35 and Yak-130

South Korea may soon start supplying FA-50 fighters to Malaysia. Negotiations between the two nations have reached the finish line. All that remains is to settle the price issue.

Here's What We Know

Several countries competed for the contract with Malaysia. Turkey, Russia and Pakistan were the first to drop out of the race. For various reasons, the Malaysian Air Force refused Pakistani JF-17s, Turkish Hurjets and Russian MiG-35s and Yak-130s.

Only India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, which produces Tejas, and South Korea's Korea Aerospace Industries remained in the race. Now everything goes to the fact that Malaysia will sign a contract to buy 18 FA-50 fighters. The Air Force will receive an export version of the aircraft with air-to-air missiles and adapted fifth-generation radars with an active phased antenna array for simultaneous tracking of multiple targets.

Malaysia and Korea Aerospace Industries have yet to agree on a price to complete the deal. The South Korean company requested nearly $1 billion for 18 FA-50 fighters, more than $50 million apiece. Malaysia wants to pay $770 million for a batch of planes, that is less than $43 million per unit. In this regard, India hopes that Kuala Lumpur will abandon the South Korean planes and pay attention to Tejas.

Source: scmp

Image: ADN, Portal Militarny