Malaysia may seek South Korea's KF-21 fighter as F/A-18 Hornet delays threaten Air Force.

Malaysia might have begun exploratory talks with KAI on the KF-21 fighter as part of MRCA planning amid scheduled Hornet and Su-30MKM retirements, and following additional delays concerning the purchase of F/A-18 Hornets from Kuwait.

According to Malaysia Military Power on January 11, 2026, Malaysia reportedly began exploratory discussions with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) regarding the possible acquisition of KF-21 Boramae fighter jets, as delays in acquiring additional F/A-18 Hornets from Kuwait raise concerns over future force levels. The talks are also linked to long-term planning under the Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) program as existing F/A-18D and Su-30MKM fighters approach retirement.
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The Multi-Role Combat Aircraft program now envisages two squadrons of next-generation fighters: a Malaysian fighter squadron has traditionally been built around 18 aircraft, meaning that the MRCA could represent 36 new fighter jets in total. (Picture source: ROKAF)

The KF-21 could replace the F/A-18D Hornet and Sukhoi Su-30MKM fleets, which are scheduled to be retired in 2035 and 2040, respectively, as part of the Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) program. At the same time, Malaysia has sought surplus F/A-18 C/D aircraft from Kuwait to reinforce its fleet, but the lack of a firm transfer schedule has created a potential future capability gap. Both the delays and the MRCA are closely linked because Malaysia must keep enough combat aircraft in service while older fleets approach retirement. All of this is taking place within Malaysia’s Capability Development Plan 2055, which seeks to modernise the country's air force over several decades. At this stage, the KF-21 discussion is exploratory, focused on potential options and timing, and does not represent a purchase decision.

Malaysia’s current air force remains numerically limited and dominated by fighter jets approaching their defined retirement, shaping all near- and long-term planning decisions. The Royal Malaysian Air Force operates 18 Russian Sukhoi Su-30MKM fighters delivered between 2007 and 2009, and seven American F/A-18D Hornets originally delivered in 1997, following the loss of one aircraft in August 2025 after a bird strike. These are supported by 12 British Hawk 208 light fighters, themselves affected by attrition and ageing. This inventory provides core air defence and strike functions but offers little depth in availability or surge capacity. To stabilise the situation, Malaysia signed a $920 million contract with South Korea in 2023 for 18 FA-50M light combat aircraft. Six FA-50M aircraft are scheduled for delivery by the end of 2026, with the remaining 12 arriving between 2027 and 2028, but the FA-50M supplements rather than replaces the fighter jets.

Malaysia’s attempt to reinforce this force through the acquisition of surplus F/A-18 C/D Hornets from Kuwait has been under consideration since 2017, following the retirement of the MiG-29 fleet the same year. The idea was to acquire up to 33 aircraft as a cost-effective interim solution while waiting for a long-term replacement under the Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) program. However, the plan depended on Kuwait retiring its Hornets after receiving Boeing F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets ordered in 2016. However, Kuwait has not confirmed a firm delivery schedule for its replacement aircraft as of late 2025. Without that decision, itself linked to an approval by the U.S., the release of the older Hornets cannot be dated. This uncertainty has persisted despite repeated evaluations and engagement efforts. As a result, the interim option has remained unimplemented for several years.

Additional delays are also expected following the transfer. Even if the aircraft were soon released, Malaysia would face mandatory software and system modifications before operational use, a process estimated to require about 15 months after transfer. When combined with the uncertain release timeline, this pushes potential operational availability toward the early to mid-2030s. That schedule overlaps directly with Malaysia’s planned Hornet retirement in 2035. Each year of delay, therefore, reduces the effective service life of any acquired Hornet. This has raised questions about cost-effectiveness, sustainment burden, and training return. The Hornet stopgap has consequently shifted from being a bridging solution to a source of planning risk. This situation has directly influenced the reassessment of long-term replacement timing.

Nonetheless, the Multi-Role Combat Aircraft program (MRCA) provided the long-term framework intended to resolve this issue. Malaysia first pursued an MRCA effort in the early 2010s, examining Western jets such as the F/A-18 E/F, Rafale, Typhoon, and Gripen. That effort was paused in 2014 due to budget constraints and competing priorities. Under the Capability Development Plan 2055, the MRCA was later reintroduced as a structured objective aimed at replacing both the Hornet and Su-30MKM fleets. The program now envisages two squadrons of next-generation fighters: a Malaysian fighter squadron has traditionally been built around 18 aircraft, meaning that the MRCA represents 36 new fighter jets in total. Procurement was planned for the mid-2030s, with full operational capability targeted between 2035 and 2040. Unlike the acquisition of the Kuwaiti Hornets, the MRCA aims to restore numerical strength and modernise capability simultaneously.

Therefore, since 2024 and 2025, growing uncertainty around interim aircraft has made the MRCA timeline less rigid. Accelerating the program would require earlier funding commitments, infrastructure readiness, and pilot and technician training. It would also affect sequencing with other CAP55 priorities. Malaysia must balance the financial impact of earlier acquisition against the operational risk of a capability gap. MRCA decisions, therefore, extend beyond aircraft selection to include sustainment, weapons integration, and long-term support structures. The program now acts as the reference point against which all fighter options are assessed. Any candidate, such as the KF-21, must align with this long-term structure aligned with Malaysia’s Hornet retirement in 2035 and Su-30MKM retirement in 2040.

However, the KF-21 would make sense for Malaysia, given that it would evolve, as in the South Korean Air Force, alongside the FA-50, also manufactured by KAI. If confirmed, the discussions between Malaysia and KAI must center on timing, configuration, and integration. KAI plans to deliver the first 40 KF-21 Block 1 aircraft, focused on air-to-air missions, to the Republic of Korea Air Force in 2026. Export availability follows domestic deliveries. Available information has not clarified which block variant would be relevant for Malaysia, with expectations ranging from Block 2 to Block 3. Block 3 is associated with features closer to fifth-generation standards, including an internal weapons bay, more advanced sensor fusion, and improved low-observable characteristics. Delivery schedules, final capability level, and cost remain undefined. At this stage, Malaysia’s engagement with KAI is aimed at evaluating long-term capability pathways and alignment with MRCA requirements rather than defining a near-term acquisition decision.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.