Malaysian tender for Light Combat Aircraft

Who all got shortlisted?
How long before we know the winner?
Su 30 maintenance package swung the deal for us?
All we can say is that we are one of the serious contenders along with atleast South Koreans.

PS:
Su30 maintenance deal is not so easy actually. Ofcourse we can offer it, but the customer (Malaysia) will only accept it if the OEM endorses us too. And Russians themselves wanted to take part in this competition... So you see I am not really sure if the offer is anything concrete.
 
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All we can say is that we are one of the serious contenders along with atleast South Koreans.

PS:
Su30 maintenance deal is not so easy actually. Ofcourse we can offer it, but the customer (Malaysia) will only accept it if the OEM endorses us too. And Russians themselves wanted to take part in this competition... So you see I am not really sure if the offer is anything concrete.

HAL has OEM status when it comes to maintenance and upkeep.
 
HAL has OEM status when it comes to maintenance and upkeep.
Correct me if I am wrong , but isnt it the UAC team which controls the QA and signs for deliveries to IAF? It sure was the case up and untill I don't know around 2012-13.

So HAL can surely do a lot , but it cannot sign off on behalf of OEM.

By value the LRUs we imported from Russia as kits even for the last batch was something like 25% +.
 
Correct me if I am wrong , but isnt it the UAC team which controls the QA and signs for deliveries to IAF? It sure was the case up and untill I don't know around 2012-13.

So HAL can surely do a lot , but it cannot sign off on behalf of OEM.

By value the LRUs we imported from Russia as kits even for the last batch was something like 25% +.

No, HAL cannot sign off for UAC, but it can do what Malaysia wants for its MKM fleet. Basically, IAF does not have to communicate with the Russians to maintain their jets.
 
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Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), the nation's sole aircraft maker, has won a 1.2 trillion won ($920 million) deal to export 18 FA-50 light attack aircraft to Malaysia, the company announced Friday.

KAI signed the contract with Malaysia's defense ministry after beating rival bidders, including India's Tejas, Pakistan's JF-17, Russia's MIG-35 and Turkey's Hurizet. The achievement is the company's latest expansion into the Southeast Asian market after Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand.

At the request of Malaysia, KAI will modify the model by adding an aerial refueling system and expanding its weapons capacity. The goal is to start sending them in 2026, a KAI official told The Korea Times.

Malaysia is considering procuring an additional 18 FA-50 aircraft, the company noted.

KAI attributed the success to the superior quality of its aircraft and the follow-up support, which has been demonstrated in partner countries.

Buoyed by the latest good news, KAI is trying to expand its overseas business to other parts of the world including the United States and Australia.

Last year, the Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province-based company signed a deal to export 48 FA-50s to Poland.
 
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), the nation's sole aircraft maker, has won a 1.2 trillion won ($920 million) deal to export 18 FA-50 light attack aircraft to Malaysia, the company announced Friday.

KAI signed the contract with Malaysia's defense ministry after beating rival bidders, including India's Tejas, Pakistan's JF-17, Russia's MIG-35 and Turkey's Hurizet. The achievement is the company's latest expansion into the Southeast Asian market after Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand.

At the request of Malaysia, KAI will modify the model by adding an aerial refueling system and expanding its weapons capacity. The goal is to start sending them in 2026, a KAI official told The Korea Times.

Malaysia is considering procuring an additional 18 FA-50 aircraft, the company noted.

KAI attributed the success to the superior quality of its aircraft and the follow-up support, which has been demonstrated in partner countries.

Buoyed by the latest good news, KAI is trying to expand its overseas business to other parts of the world including the United States and Australia.

Last year, the Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province-based company signed a deal to export 48 FA-50s to Poland.

From Jane's...
The FA-50 and Tejas were the only aircraft on the final shortlist.

So we lost based on cost, it's good enough to get selected. The LCA was over-specced for their requirements after all. And it was a hot potato in terms of balancing their relations with China.

We will have to try our hand at playing in their planned fighter contest after 2028 with the LCA Mk2, although they will definitely favour twin engine jets by then, and TEDBF won't be ready for many more years.

Time to place our hopes on Argentina and Egypt now.
 
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Works out to slightly more that 50 m USD as opposed to ~40 m USD we offered. Looks like the South Koreans nicely greased some wheels. Hope HAL , MoD & GoI take note.
We will never defeat FA50 in any program meant for replacing a BAE HAWK/ K8 trainer with twin seater Tejas.

Tejas is a pure bread fighter.

Let the Malaysians kickstart the paused fighter jet procurment.

Same for Egypt looking to replace K8 karakoram trainers.

Wait for the Mirage 5/F7 replacement program.
 
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We will never defeat FA50 in any program meant for replacing a BAE HAWK/ K8 trainer with twin seater Tejas.

Tejas is a pure bread fighter.

Let the Malaysians kickstart the paused fighter jet procurment.

Same for Egypt looking to replace K8 karakoram trainers.

Wait for the Mirage 5/F7 replacement program.
There's the HLFT -42 which ideally should be under engineered as compared to the Tejas but according to HVT will be better than LCA Mk-1 if you can believe him. And you're expecting HAL to win in future with such fantastic planning ?
 
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And Vietnam.

In Egypt, they are pushing for 20 jets separate from the LIFT deal. There's Botswana as well.
Yes I am hopeful for that seperate acquisition. Because even though they have large numbers of F16s, but Viper upgrade is not available to them.

So they will need a decent single engine fighter jet. Egypt is probably make or break as far as Tejas Mk1A goes.
There's the HLFT -42 which ideally should be under engineered as compared to the Tejas but according to HVT will be better than LCA Mk-1 if you can believe him. And you're expecting HAL to win in future with such fantastic planning ?
HLFT-42 will start flying in 2030. Better to ignore it for the moment.

One possibility is ADA taking over the SPORT concept for LIFT export market. Because ARDC/HAL at the moment looks invested in their own HLFT42.
 
FA-50 wins Malaysia’s light combat aircraft competition
The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50 has won Malaysia’s Fighter Lead In Trainer-Light Combat Aircraft (FLIT-LCA) requirement for 18 aircraft.

The deal is worth $920 million, and deliveries will commence from 2026, says KAI. In the longer-term, it expects Malaysia’s total acquisition to grow to 36 examples.

Kuala Lumpur’s FA-50s will come with several enhancements, namely the ability to conduct air-to-air refuelling and an expanded weapons capability.

“This export is the fruit of strengthening cooperation between the two governments,” says KAI president and chief executive Kang Goo-young. “KAI will play a role as a long-term partner through defence cooperation as well as successful delivery and operational support of [the] FA-50.”

Kuala Lumpur, long in need of recapitalising its fast jet fleet, kicked off the FLIT-LCA requirement in June 2021, as part of the air force’s Capability 55 plan issued in 2018, outlining its goal of reaching a desired force structure by 2055.

The requirement soon attracted an eclectic group of contestants. In addition to the FA-50, rivals for the deal comprised the Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) Tejas, Chengdu-Pakistan Aeronautical Complex JF-17, RAC MiG-29, and the Turkish Aerospace Hurjet.

The FA-50 and Tejas were the only aircraft on the final shortlist.


With the deal, Malaysia becomes the third Southeast Asian country to acquire a T-50 family aircraft, after the Philippines and Indonesia.

Including Malaysia, KAI says it has sold 120 T-50 variants. Customers include Indonesia with 22, Iraq with 24, the Philippines with 12, and Poland, which last year ordered 48. The T-50 and FA-50 are also in service with the Republic of Korea Air Force.

At the Farnborough Airshow in July 2022, Lee Bong Keun, vice-president and general manager of KAI’s international business division, told FlightGlobal that the company aimed to secure 1,000 international FA-50 sales over a 10-year period.

This number includes requirements from the US Air Force (USAF) and US Navy for additional training aircraft, as well as the need for “red air” aircraft to serve in aggressor training missions.

The FA-50/T-50 is powered by a single GE Aerospace F404 engine.

 
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HLFT-42 will start flying in 2030. Better to ignore it for the moment.

Could fly earlier. They need to wrap up certification by 2030-32. The more time they lose the more competition like KAI sells in the market. Then there's TAI which'd be entering the fray in a few yrs.

One possibility is ADA taking over the SPORT concept for LIFT export market. Because ARDC/HAL at the moment looks invested in their own HLFT42.

Frankly I doubt ADA is interested or even if it has the manpower to spare unless IAF is committing to SPORT as it's LIFT variant. In which case who'd build it? There's going to be a clash of interests in such a scenario.
 
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Could fly earlier. They need to wrap up certification by 2030-32. The more time they lose the more competition like KAI sells in the market. Then there's TAI which'd be entering the fray in a few yrs.



Frankly I doubt ADA is interested or even if it has the manpower to spare unless IAF is committing to SPORT as it's LIFT variant. In which case who'd build it? There's going to be a clash of interests in such a scenario.
That's why don't keep very high hopes.

Turkey has deep influence in many countries, they will surely purchase Turkish products. And South Korea will be looking to market their new KFX by 2028 too.