Don: Cheap, tempting, but is it prudent to acquire ageing Kuwaiti jets?

Expanding Malaysia’s fleet of Hornet fighter jets for a song is a tempting proposal, but according to assistant professor Olli Pekka Suorsa, the important question is whether it is prudent.

In an article published in Fulcrum, he pointed to the additional burdens associated with maintaining and servicing a larger fleet of ageing aircraft.

“The Hornet represents ageing technology, which is increasingly difficult to keep relevant. Moreover, the Kuwaiti Hornets are of an earlier block, whereas the Malaysian fighters are among the last Hornets manufactured.

“This may cause incompatibility issues when it pertains to spare parts. In addition, the aircraft have received differing upgrades to their systems. This will compound maintenance complexity,” he noted.

On Oct 7, it was reported that Kuwait had no objections to Malaysia’s request to procure their F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets.

Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said a committee comprising Malaysian and Kuwaiti officials would be established to facilitate the matter.

According to Suorsa, who is with the UAE-based Rabdan Academy, Kuwait operates 39 F/A-18C/D Hornets, which were delivered between January 1992 and August 1993.

“The Gulf state’s air force is in the process of upgrading its combat airpower by procuring Super Hornet and Typhoon fighters. However, the delivery of these aircraft has been delayed due to Covid-19 and supply chain hurdles. This has forced Kuwait to keep its legacy Hornets longer than originally planned.

“Malaysia has eight two-seat F/A-18D Hornets, which were acquired in 1997 and are operated by the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s (RMAF) 18th Squadron at Butterworth.

“The Malaysian Hornets have received incremental upgrades to their avionics, communication, and weapons systems over the years, including the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS), Link 16 datalink, AIM-9X and AIM-120C air-to-air missiles, precision-guided air-to-ground munitions, and Sniper targeting pods.

“This has substantially improved the platform’s air-to-air and air-to-ground capabilities. Malaysia is planning to operate the upgraded Hornets until 2035,” he added.

Consider long-term plan

Soursa said Malaysia should “seriously consider” if these second-hand Kuwaiti Hornets are compatible with the RMAF’s long-term development plan.

“Although offering a tempting opportunity to expand the RMAF’s fleet of legacy Hornets, the type is rapidly reaching technological obsolescence.

“A larger fleet of ageing aircraft may quickly prove burdensome to maintain, which would add to the already serious fleet sustainment problems faced by the RMAF.

“Refocusing the government’s limited defence modernisation budget to expand the successful LCA (Light Combat Aircraft) programme or accelerate the MRCA (Multirole Combat Aircraft) programme would help future-proof the RMAF against threats,” he added.

Neighbours way ahead

Soursa noted that Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore are acquiring fourth or fifth-generation fighters.

“The Hornet is not a competitive platform,” he added.

Soursa also did not discount the possibility of the Hornets substituting the RMAF’s “problematic” Russian jets.

“In 2018, Malaysian government reports revealed that the RMAF’s 18-strong Sukhoi Su-30MKM fleet was reduced to only four flyable aircraft due to maintenance issues and a lack of spares.

“Malaysia has tried to address the problem by forging closer defence industrial cooperation with India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which has significant expertise in assembling, overhauling, and upgrading Sukhoi Su-30 aircraft, similar to those operated by the RMAF.

“In comparison, despite its small numbers, Malaysia’s Hornet fleet has performed admirably with strong support from industry and contractors. Therefore, it is conceivable that an expanded Hornet fleet could be sought to become the mainstay of the RMAF’s fighter force while it waits for the acquisition of future combat aircraft,” he added.

Although Kuwait has not objected to the sale, the deal is still subject to the approval of the supplier country, which is the United States.

The second condition is that the procurement can only proceed after Kuwait has received all of its new fighter aircraft, the F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet, as well as the Eurofighter Typhoon.

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