No-go: RMAF scraps plan to acquire surplus Kuwaiti Hornets

Putrajaya has officially pulled the plug on the proposed acquisition of Kuwait’s surplus F/A-18C/D fighters – a deal that critics long warned would offer little return before the jets’ planned retirement.

PUTRAJAYA: The government has decided not to proceed with the acquisition of surplus F/A-18C/D Hornets from Kuwait for the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), formally ending years of speculation over the proposed deal.

Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari confirmed in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday that the decision was made at a Cabinet meeting on Feb 6, following a comprehensive technical assessment by the RMAF. The evaluation team inspected the aircraft in Kuwait from Nov 11 to Nov 27, 2025, before submitting its findings.

On Aug 25, 2025, Twentytwo13 had reported that thedeal had effectively collapsed due to a combination of operational, financial and strategic concerns. It is now official.

The proposed purchase, first floated in 2017, was intended to supplement the RMAF’s fleet of eight (now seven following the loss of one aircraft to a birdstrike) F/A-18D Hornets. Kuwait had planned to retire its legacy C/D models after ordering 28 Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and a similar number of Tranche 3 Eurofighter Typhoons.

But Kuwait’s transition timeline repeatedly slipped.

The Kuwaiti Super Hornets were originally expected in 2021 before the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted production schedules. Under a revised plan, deliveries were pushed to 2026 – and even that timeline has been subject to uncertainty.

Under the terms of the proposed arrangement, Malaysia would only take possession of the legacy Kuwaiti jets after all the new Super Hornets were delivered to the Kuwait Air Force. The 2026 delivery target has slipped again, with 2027 offering little certainty.

Even under an optimistic projection, the RMAF would likely not have received the ex-Kuwaiti Hornets before 2027.

The RMAF intends to retire its Hornet fleet between 2032 and 2035. Had the acquisition proceeded, Malaysia might have secured only about eight years of operational use from the additional aircraft before their eventual phase-out.

Integration challenges were among the most significant obstacles.

The Kuwaiti jets operate on the SCS-25XK software configuration, while Malaysia’s Hornets have already been upgraded to the SCS-29C standard. Unlike the RMAF’s aircraft, which are equipped with the AN/APG-73 radar, Link-16 datalinks and modern targeting pods, the Kuwaiti jets would have required extensive avionics replacement and mission systems integration to reach the same configuration. Harmonising the two fleets would also have necessitated substantial software redevelopment, testing and certification to align mission computers, weapons interfaces and overall avionics architecture – significantly increasing cost, complexity and timelines.

The upgrade cost was estimated at roughly US$4 million per aircraft, with each airframe requiring more than a year to complete. Multiplied across more than 30 potential aircraft, refurbishment and systems integration alone could have exceeded US$120 million, excluding logistics, transport and preservation costs.

Industry sources had also pointed to contractual bottlenecks involving Boeing and subsystem suppliers such as Germany’s Rohde & Schwarz, which provides key communications and electronic components. Any delays in data rights, software validation or vendor support could have further extended timelines.

Sustainment presented another red flag.

Twentytwo13 understands that the Advanced Weapons Laboratory (AWL) at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake – a critical support node for legacy Hornet systems – has been downsizing, with no firm long-term commitments for continued programme backing.

The AWL plays a key role in software support, weapons integration and systems validation for older-generation F/A-18 platforms. A reduced support footprint would have raised the risk of spares shortages, delayed upgrades and increased reliance on costly US-based maintenance, repair and overhaul providers.

Analysts warned that as early as 2028, the RMAF could have faced mounting aircraft unserviceability rates due to tightening parts pipelines and shrinking legacy support capacity in the United States.

All this for aircraft that, while relatively low in flying hours, are more than three decades old.

The decision to abort the Hornet deal now shifts attention to how the RMAF will address its capability gap.

Adly said the Defence Ministry is reassessing the procurement timeline for Malaysia’s new multirole combat aircraft (MRCA).

“We are aware that the MRCA programme is included under the 14th Malaysia Plan (14MP).

“However, following the Cabinet’s decision on the Hornets, the RMAF will study whether the MRCA acquisition should be brought forward to the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP),” he said.

If the review confirms an urgent operational requirement, he added, the procurement process for the next-generation combat assets could be expedited through the appropriate mechanisms under the government’s rolling budget plan.

On Sept 5, 2022, Twentytwo13 was the first to report that Korean Aerospace Industries’ (KAI) FA-50 was the frontrunner for Malaysia’s RM4 billion Light Combat Aircraft/Fighter Lead-In Trainer (LCA/FLIT) programme.

Analysts had told Twentytwo13 that the FA-50 offered the RMAF a balanced mix of affordability, capability and growth potential. Derived from the T-50 Golden Eagle and already in service with several air forces, the FA-50 was viewed as meeting the RMAF’s dual requirement for advanced training and light combat duties, while providing a scalable pathway towards more complex frontline platforms.

Five months later, on Feb 26, 2023, the Defence Ministry confirmed that KAI had secured the contract for 18 airframes (with options for 18 more) – validating the earlier Twentytwo13 report.

The FA-50 decision underscored the RMAF’s broader strategy under its Capability 55 roadmap: rationalise the fleet, replace ageing platforms in phases and avoid short-term fixes that create long-term logistical burdens.

Against that backdrop, the Cabinet’s decision to walk away from the Kuwaiti Hornets reflects a similar strategic calculus – that limited defence allocations are better channelled into structured, future-oriented acquisitions rather than extending the life of legacy airframes with narrow service horizons.

With regional air forces inducting increasingly advanced platforms, the pressure to accelerate the MRCA programme may now intensify.

For the RMAF, the focus returns to securing a sustainable path forward – one aligned with operational realities, fiscal constraints and the demands of an evolving strategic environment.