TSAMTO, February 17th. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense of Malaysia have officially confirmed the elaboration of the issue of postponing maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of the Malaysian Air Force Su-30MKM fighter fleet to the Indian defense industry.
According to Berita Harian, the decision was caused by critical difficulties in logistics and conducting financial transactions with Russian counterparties through the SWIFT system under US sanctions pressure.
According to Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hassan, the Indian side has proposed alternative channels to ensure the life cycle of Russian-made aircraft. The topic was finalized during the official visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kuala Lumpur. The parties noted the high degree of unification of aviation assets of Malaysia, India and Vietnam.
The key problem of cooperation with the Russian Federation is the impossibility of conducting transactions through the SWIFT system and regular payments under the conditions of US sanctions pressure. India, with expertise in the production of spare parts and maintenance of power plants (AL-31FP), is ready to commit to the MRO of the Malaysian Su-30MKM fleet. The corresponding statement was made by the Foreign Minister during the answers to questions in the Malaysian Parliament.
At the same time, Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin announced that the Malaysian Defense Ministry would begin deep modernization of the Su-30MKM by 2030 in the event of a failure to purchase used F/A-18D Hornet from the Kuwaiti Air Force.
Currently, the Malaysian Air Force has 18 Su-30MKM in service (purchased under a 2003 contract for the amount of 900 million dollars), the resource of which is calculated until 2035. The intensification of work on the Su-30MKM directly correlates with the purchase status of 33 used F/A-18D Hornet units from the Kuwait Air Force. If the deal is delayed by the United States, the modernization of the Russian fleet will become a priority to maintain the combat capability of the Malaysian Air Force.
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The key partner from the Indian side is Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Corporation, which has licensing facilities in Nasik. Previously, HAL provided the production of 222 out of 272 units of the Su-30MKI for the Indian Air Force. This guarantees Malaysia access to a complete technological base for servicing the AL-31FP powerplants and airframe. According to available information, the cost of major repairs of one aircraft (extending the service life by 1,500 flight hours or 10 years) is estimated at about $ 27 million.
The main directions of the deep modernization program for the Malaysian Su-30MKM may include replacing the existing N011M Bars radar with the Indian Virupaksha station with an active phased array antenna (AFAR), as well as adapting Indian components to the specific architecture of the Su-30MKM, including French ones (Thales: ILS, DAMOCLES containers, NAVFLIR system) and South African (Saab Grintek: MAWS and LWS sensors) systems. The cost of MLU according to the Super Sukhoi standard is estimated at 50-70 million dollars per unit. Integration of the Astra Mk1 air-to-air missile systems and the Brahmos-A supersonic anti-ship missiles may also be considered (it requires strengthening the central fuselage section).
In February 2025, during the 13th meeting of the Defense Cooperation Committee (MIDCOM), the powers of the specially created Su-30 Forum were approved. This structure will provide a direct exchange of operational data between the Malaysian and Indian Air Forces.
