Malaysia has canceled its plan to purchase used F/A-18C/D "Hornet" fighter jets from Kuwait's air force. The reasons are as follows:
Firstly, the delivery of the F/A-18E/F "Super Hornet" fighter jets to Kuwait has been delayed. The Kuwaiti Air Force planned to retire its F/A-18C/D "Hornet" jets and sell them abroad after receiving the F/A-18E/F "Super Hornet". However, the delivery of the "Super Hornets" has been postponed to 2026, with service even pushed to 2027 or 2028. In addition to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the reason for the delay also includes the U.S. Navy having priority procurement rights. As a result, Malaysia's development plan has been disrupted.
The "Hornet" fighter jets in Kuwait were originally more outdated than Malaysia's similar aircraft. Malaysia's F/A-18D uses SCS29C software and AN/APG-73 radar, equipped with Link 16 data link capability; while the F/A-18C/D jets in Kuwait still use older SCS25XK software and AN/APG-65 radar. If Malaysia were to purchase used "Hornet" jets from Kuwait, it would need significant upgrades, new logistics support, and bear the downtime costs during the modification period. Moreover, the used "Hornet" jets from Kuwait may have issues with structural fatigue, and bringing them up to an acceptable service standard would likely be very costly.
Malaysia had originally hoped to quickly receive the used "Hornet" jets from Kuwait, but now, due to the delay in the delivery of the F/A-18E/F "Super Hornet" jets, the entire plan has been disrupted. However, this has made Malaysia more rational, why spend money and effort to buy second-hand aircraft?
Secondly, Malaysia's budget constraints. Purchasing additional used aircraft would undoubtedly divert Malaysia's limited modernization funds. Used aircraft have a short lifespan and require a lot of money for upgrades and maintenance. Especially if Malaysia later purchases new aircraft, the used ones may have to be retired prematurely. In this case, the cost-effectiveness is really poor, which is clearly a hassle for Malaysia. Therefore, Malaysian sources said: "Introducing obsolete used aircraft is not cost-effective for Malaysia." More and more Malaysians suggest that in the future, they should purchase more advanced and sustainable aircraft.
Thirdly, the sale of used "Hornet" jets from Kuwait to Malaysia requires approval from the U.S. government. However, Malaysia has become increasingly close to China in recent years, which has upset the United States. Therefore, Malaysia is worried that the U.S. government might make difficulties for Kuwait's sale of used "Hornet" jets, so it has decided to cancel the procurement plan altogether.
Original text: www.toutiao.com/article/1841678080453696/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.