Politics may be the deciding factor in a RM36 billion deal to supply light combat aircraft to the Royal Malaysian Air Force over the next 10 years, according to a Singapore news report.
The aircraft on offer are believed to be the F-50 by Korea Aerospace Industries of South Korea, Tejas by Hindustan Aeronautics (India), YAK-130 by Irkut Aerospace (Russia), JF-17 Thunder (Pakistan) and the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master (Italy).
According to the Straits Times newspaper in Singapore, defence industry executives believe that the RMAF top brass is partial towards South Korea’s FA-50 jets, but its critics contend that the single-seater aircraft is not suitable because it does not have the capability for air-to-air refuelling.Read More…
