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Khaled inspects Kuwait's F/A-18 Hornets

KUALA LUMPUR: Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin recently visited the Ahmad Al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait, gaining first hand insight into the condition of the Kuwait Air Force (KAF) F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets. 

In a social media post, he detailed his visit to the airbase, home to KAF's Squadron 9, which operates the F/A-18C/D "Legacy" Hornet jets that Malaysia hopes to acquire.

Upon arrival, Khaled and the Malaysian delegation were welcomed by Major General Sheikh Sabah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Kuwait Armed Forces and Commander of the Kuwait Air Force. 

"I was briefed on the status, capabilities, and operations of the KAF F/A-18C/D fighter jets, including insights from the KAF pilot team. 

"I was also given the opportunity to personally observe the condition of some of these strategic assets," he said.

On Monday, Kuwait expressed no objections to Malaysia's request for the procurement of its F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets. 

However, Khaled said, "The procurement is subject to approval from the supplier country, the United States, and will proceed only after Kuwait has received all its new fighter aircraft, including the F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and Eurofighter Typhoons." 

Khaled's visit, aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and defence cooperation between Malaysia and Kuwait, also included the presence of Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) chief General Tan Sri Asghar Khan Goriman Khan. 

Discussions about the potential procurement of the Hornets first emerged in June, following a technical team's visit from the RMAF to Kuwait.

Currently, Malaysia operates eight F/A-18D Hornets and 18 Sukhoi Su-30MKMs in its Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) fleet, having retired its 16 Russian-made Mikoyan MiG-29N Fulcrums seven years ago. 

The RMAF initiated its MRCA acquisition programme in 2011, initially planning to acquire 18 aircraft, a number that later increased to between 24 and 40 new aircraft in 2014.

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