THE Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) will receive four more FA-50M light combat aircraft in April next year, ahead of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) 2027.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the latest delivery would bring the total number of aircraft received to six, following the arrival of the first two in October.
He said the remaining 12 aircraft would be delivered in phases by March 2028, completing the procurement of all 18 jets.
"MINDEF received two of the aircraft at the end of October. Before LIMA, we will receive another four.
"After that, we will receive all 18 aircraft in phases by March 2028," he told reporters after launching the Malaysia MADANI Adopted School programme involving the Malaysia Defence Intelligence Organisation (MDIO) at Sekolah Kebangsaan Panchor in Kota Tinggi today.
Khaled said all 18 FA-50M aircraft, developed by South Korea's Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), would initially be based in Kuantan, Pahang.
He said the possibility of deploying the aircraft to other locations would be considered after the RMAF retires its Hawk fleet.
On Oct 30, Mohamed Khaled received the first two FA-50M aircraft acquired by the RMAF, marking a milestone in efforts to strengthen the country's air defence capabilities.
The aircraft arrived at the RMAF Labuan Air Base after being flown from Sacheon, South Korea.
Malaysia signed a contract with KAI in 2023 to procure 18 FA-50M aircraft worth nearly RM4 billion under the 12th Malaysia Plan.
The acquisition is part of the Fighter Lead-In Trainer-Light Combat Aircraft (FLIT-LCA) programme to replace the RMAF's ageing Hawk fleet, while also providing advanced training for fighter pilots and supporting light combat missions. - November 14, 2026
