THE Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) is conducting a full safety review of its fleet of British-made Hawk fighter jets following an incident in which one of the aircraft veered off the runway while landing at Sultan Abdul Halim Airport (LTSAH) in Alor Setar, Kedah.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin confirmed that RMAF had initiated the investigation to ensure all Hawk aircraft remain safe for continued operations.
“RMAF has launched an investigation to ensure the safety of all Hawk fighter jets,” Snar Harian quoted him saying. “It is up to RMAF to determine how long the investigation will take.”
He was speaking at a press conference after launching the Boustead Plantations Berhad Veterans Empowerment Project at Ladang Telok Sengat today.
The incident occurred on Tuesday when a single-seat Hawk 208 fighter jet suffered a front landing gear malfunction during a landing at LTSAH. RMAF confirmed that the jet skidded off the runway at approximately 5pm during a training exercise for ‘Opening Gambit’, a rehearsal ahead of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2025 (LIMA ’25).
The pilot was unharmed and did not sustain any injuries.
Malaysia has operated the Hawk Mk108 and Mk208 since 1994 and 1995 respectively. The RMAF currently maintains a fleet of 12 Hawk 208 single-seat aircraft and four dual-seat Hawk 108 trainers. - May 8, 2025
