The proposed acquisition of 38 F/A-18C/D Hornet fighter jets from the Kuwait Air Force (KAF) is in line with the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) plans.
Speaking to reporters on Friday (Oct 11), Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the procurement of the KAF jets is also appropriate as the aircraft have low flight hours.
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Speaking to reporters on Friday (Oct 11), Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the procurement of the KAF jets is also appropriate as the aircraft have low flight hours.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Can you tell us about your visit to Kuwait last night?
00:06Yes, Kuwait welcomed us well and gave us a good service to the Human Relations Group
00:16We had the opportunity to meet with the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister
00:22Both of them have presented positive signs for our request to acquire Jet F-18 legacy Hornet assets
00:40which are owned by them for the past 39 years, except for the 38th year due to an accident
00:48It was due to two reasons. First, the agreement between the US government and the US manufacturer
01:02Second, when Kuwait was able to acquire the Super Hornet, which was expected to be acquired by the end of next year
01:19So, based on these two factors, Kuwait has no obstacle. And to show that the agreement is positive,
01:32Kuwait also agreed to form a force to discuss the acquisition aspects
01:39Do you have any plans to expand the Hornet business in Kuwait?
01:46The use of the Hornet is still in an unfavorable environment for us to manage
01:59Meaning, its flying time is 2,000 hours, 3,000 hours, it can go up to 6,000-7,000 hours
02:10So, it is still there. Second, we have to look at our plans
02:15In our quest for modernization of the army, every service has its own framework
02:26And for the Air Force, what has been stated, if we acquire from Kuwait, it meets the plans made by the Air Force
02:43As a stopgap, we have to understand that to buy a plane, it takes up to 10 years
02:58If we want to wait, if we want to buy a new one, our delivery will be in 2035
03:06Because in the plane, there are various equipments that do not come from one company
03:16We have to make sure that it is suitable for our country, in our capabilities, and it is the latest
03:24And it will take time to acquire
03:27Then we have to ask for approval, like precision missiles, if the government does not agree, we cannot install
03:36So, it takes time
03:38So, if we acquire, let's say I acquire, I want to buy a plane, it will take 3-4 years
03:45It will take 3-4 years to start building
03:48So, in 2035, if we want to acquire, let's say we buy a new one, in between, we have nothing
03:57And we have to understand that in 2027, all the Hawk aircrafts in Labuan will be decommissioned
04:07It is no longer possible
04:09So, what are we going to do?
04:11And we have planned to see the acquisition of Kuwait since 2018
04:18In 2018, Kuwait has ordered Super Hornet, until now, it has not accepted
04:25Until now, it has not accepted, how many years
04:28So, that's the question, to buy a plane, so it's not easy
04:32If it's a car, it's okay, there's a showroom, you can buy it right away
04:38This is a plane, and that's a ship, not like that
04:41So, we have to understand