TSAMTO, August 19. Indian state-owned company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has announced plans to open its office in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
According to The Hindu, the corresponding memorandum of understanding was signed in the presence of Indian Defense Minister Ajay Kumar on August 18. HAL's new office in Kuala Lumpur will promote the company's products and services not only in Malaysia, but also in other Southeast Asian countries.
According to experts, the opening of the new office is primarily related to the promotion of LCA Mk fighters.1 "Tejas" within the framework of the Malaysian program for the purchase of new training / light combat aircraft FLIT / LCA (Fighter Lead-in Trainer / Light Combat Aircraft), as well as with the intensification of cooperation on the modernization and / or maintenance of combat training aircraft "Hawk" and Su-30MKM fighters of the Malaysian Air Force.
Recall that HAL submitted a proposal for the supply of FLIT/LCA aircraft to the Malaysian government in October 2021. As it was stated at the time, in addition to an attractive financial package for the purchase of 18 Tejas units, the Malaysian side was offered to establish cooperation on maintenance and supply of spare parts for Su-30MKM aircraft.
In June 2022, it was reported that since Russia's special military operations in Ukraine are expected to take a long time, the Malaysian Air Force needs to find a country with comparable capabilities to ensure the combat readiness of the Su-30MKM fleet.
As the Malaysian side noted, India is a friendly country with which long-standing cooperation has been established. In addition, the Indian Su-30MKI aircraft has a similar Su-30MKM layout.
In addition, the parties continue negotiations on India's purchase of the Malaysian MiG-29N. Back in 2017, India expressed interest in buying MiG-29N with their subsequent modernization and further use as part of the country's Air Force.
After opening an office in Kuala Lumpur, HAL plans to offer other platforms to the Malaysian Armed Forces, such as the HTT-40 training aircraft, the Do-228 transport/reconnaissance helicopter, the ALH light helicopter, the LCH combat helicopter, etc.
As TSAMTO has already reported, the FLIT / LCA program provides for the replacement of obsolete training aircraft / light attack aircraft "Hawk" 108/208, which have been in service with the Malaysian Air Force since the 1990s. It is planned to purchase 18 supersonic aircraft with the possibility of refueling in the air and containing at least 30% of the components produced in Malaysia. It is also required that the manufacturer begin deliveries within 36 months after signing the contract.
The Ministry of Defense of Malaysia announced the launch of a tender for the supply of 18 FLIT/LCA aircraft for the country's Air Force on June 22, 2021. Currently, the Malaysian Air Force uses two variants of the BAE Systems Hawk UBS as FLIT/LCA aircraft, as well as several MB-339 TCB. These aircraft need to be replaced within 10 years.
The acquisition of aircraft is carried out within the framework of the long-term reform program of the Malaysian Air Force until 2055, which bears the designation CAP55 (Capability 55). This document provides for a two-stage purchase of 36 FLIT/LCA aircraft. At the first stage, the Air Force Command submitted a request for financing the supply of 18 aircraft, including 8 training and 10 light combat units. Another 18 aircraft are planned to be purchased at the second stage under the 13th Malaysian Plan (2026-2030). In total, 36 aircraft will form one training and two combat squadrons.
Despite the fact that nine applicants initially expressed their intention to participate in the competition, only six submitted their proposals by October 6, 2021. Among them were Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) with Tejas, South Korean Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) with T-50/FA-50, Turkish Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) with Hurjet, Italian Leonardo with M-346, Chinese Hongdu Aviation Industry Group with L-15A/B and Rosoboronexport with MiG-35.
Presumably, a South Korean KAI with an FA-50 unit.20 and Indian HAL with LCA Mk.1 Tejas are the main candidates for the supply of new aircraft for the Malaysian Air Force (it is noteworthy that only KAI and HAL have been negotiating a payment method twice over the past year).
According to estimates, the total cost of the program is 4 billion ringgit (about $ 910 million), half of which is planned to be paid for with palm oil and its processed products.
