Malaysia’s South China Sea defences set for fighter jet boost in ‘quiet’ military build-up
The jets are part of a close, ‘under the radar’ US-Malaysia defence partnership, even as Kuala Lumpur continues engaging China positively, analysts say
Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) chief General Tan Sri Asghar Khan Goriman Khan confirmed during a June 17 briefing that Washington had approved Malaysia’s request to acquire up to 33 used F/A-18C/D Hornet fighter jets from Kuwait.
The move, which requires congressional sign-off under the US Arms Export Control Act, comes after years of negotiations that began in 2017. Malaysian Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari has said the deal is expected to be finalised this year.
Abdul Rahman Yaacob, a research fellow at the Lowy Institute’s Southeast Asia programme, said the purchase of the fighter jets would significantly bolster Malaysia’s air defence capabilities.
“This is critical in East Malaysia, where Malaysia’s energy blocks are located in the South China Sea, close to Sarawak,” Rahman said.
If deployed in East Malaysia, the Hornets would complement newly developed naval facilities in Sarawak and demonstrate Kuala Lumpur’s efforts to build deterrence in an area that had seen increasing Chinese activity, Rahman added.