For years Tunisia showed interest in 30 Kuwaiti F/A-18C/D and tried to acquire them. In the end, however, the operating costs were too high for the North Africans, and so Malaysia is now taking delivery of the Legacy Hornets, which were built by McDonnell Douglas between 1992 and 1993.
Malaysian Deputy Defense Minister Adly Zahari confirmed on the sidelines of a hi-tea ceremony to honor veterans in Ayer Gajah that both sides have agreed in principle to the transfer. The official transfer is expected to be finalized later this year once all documents between the Kuwait Air Force (KAF) and the US have been cleared. The costs were not disclosed, but it was already reported in 2021 that Kuwait had estimated a symbolic price of around 830,000 euros per jet for Tunisia.
Faster available than new aircraft
The Malaysian Ministry of Defense had been trying to acquire the Kuwaiti Hornets since 2017 with several requests, but political entanglements in Kuwait delayed the negotiations. It was not until October 2023, during an official visit by high-ranking Malaysian military officials, that Kuwait gave the green light for the resale.
Last June, a technical team from the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) visited the Al Jaber airbase in Kuwait and found the jets of the 9th squadron to be in good condition – with fewer flying hours than the air force’s own, significantly younger F/A-18Ds. Minister Adly emphasized that the acquisition was “not a waste”: “There is an acute need to strengthen our defence, and the used jets are quickly ready for deployment – in contrast to new procurements, which would involve long waiting times.”
Ongoing modernization of the Malaysian Hornets
The RMAF currently operates 18 Su-30MKMs, but is struggling with spare parts and maintenance problems due to international sanctions against Russia. In addition, eight two-seater F/A-18Ds from 1997 are in service with the 18th Squadron in Butterworth.
These Hornets have been extensively modernized over the years and have received upgrades such as
- a 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
- Target lighting container.
Thanks to these upgrades, the aircraft’s air-to-air and air-to-ground capabilities have been significantly improved. Malaysia plans to continue operating the modernized Hornets until 2035 before a new Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) will join or replace the fleet.
The RMAF intends to use the Kuwaiti aircraft to create a second squadron of around twelve single-seaters. In addition, four further jets are to be added to the existing 18th squadron, while some airframes will be used as spare parts stores. However, compatibility problems could arise here, as Kuwait has not modernized its Hornets since the Second Gulf War.
Both air forces are upgrading
While Malaysia takes over the Kuwaiti Legacy Hornets, Kuwait itself is modernizing its air force. The KAF is replacing its old F/A-18C/D with 28 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Advanced and 28 Eurofighter Typhoon T3.
Malaysia is also relying on new systems: in 2023, the RMAF signed a contract for 18 South Korean KAI FA-50s as part of its Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) project. These are intended to replace the rare single-seat Hawk 208 and the MiG-29N, which have since been decommissioned and proved to be unreliable in the hot and humid climate of Southeast Asia.
