On February 24, 2023, the South Korean corporation Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) announced the signing of a contract with the Ministry of National Defense of Malaysia for the supply of 18 two-seat light combat (combat training) aircraft FA-50 to the Malaysian Air Force. The contract value is 1.2 trillion won ($920 million), and deliveries of the FA-50 to Malaysia should begin in 2026.
KAI FA-50 aircraft of the South Korean Air Force (c) KAIThus, the KAI FA-50 aircraft won the Malaysian Air Force competition under the Fighter Lead In Trainer-Light Combat Aircraft (FLIT-LCA) program for the purchase of up to 36 jet aircraft designed to perform the tasks of a light fighter, a light strike aircraft and a transitional combat training aircraft.
In total, six aircraft proposals were considered in the tender under the FLIT-LCA program, the official requirements for which were put forward by the Malaysian Ministry of Defense in June 2021, including KAI FA-50, Indian HAL Tejas, Italian Leonardo M-346FA, Chinese-Pakistani JF-17 Thunder, Russian MiG-29M2, then replaced in a proposal for a MiG-35, and a Turkish TAI Hurjet (which has not yet flown). At the final stage of the tender, the FA-50 and the Indian Tejas, which was an obvious outsider, were considered. The choice of the FA-50 was previously announced in November 2022.
KAI said that since Malaysia plans to purchase a total of 36 aircraft under the FLIT-LCA program, it is expected that in the future the order for the FA-50 will be increased to 36 units. Malaysia will receive the FA-50 in a promising Block 20 variant, and modified to meet its requirements, including a wide range of air-to-surface guided weapons and the installation of an air refueling system.
In the Malaysian Air Force, the FA-50 aircraft purchased under the FLIT-LCA program should replace 16 light combat and combat training aircraft of the Hawk Mk 108 and Mk 208 (as part of the 6th and 15th squadrons), as well as 16 MiG-29N fighters that have already been actually withdrawn from combat (consisted of 17-th and 19th squadrons).
The FA-50 aircraft is a modification of a light fighter / combat training aircraft, created on the basis of the famous KAI T-50 Golden Eagle combat training aircraft, developed at one time with the participation of the American corporation Lockheed Martin. Malaysia thus became the sixth foreign customer of the T-50 / FA-50 family of aircraft, previously purchased by Iraq (24 aircraft of the T-50IQ variant, actually analogues of the FA-50), Indonesia (22 T-50i), the Philippines (12 FA-50PH), Thailand (14 T-50TH) and ordered Poland (12 FA-50 and 36 FA-50PL). The South Korean Air Force has received and contracted a total of 142 aircraft of the T-50 family (50 T-50, 10 T-50B, 22 TA-50 and 60 FA-50).
The South Korean corporation Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) signed a contract with the Ministry of National Defense of Malaysia for the supply of 18 two-seat light combat (combat training) aircraft KAI FA-50 to the Malaysian Air Force. Kuala Lumpur, 02/24/2023 (c) KAI
