Malaysia to Aquire Two JF-17 Fighters for Combat Evaluation

Having shown considerable interest in acquiring the Sino-Pakistani JF-17 Thunder single engine light fighter, the Malaysian Air Force is reportedly set to acquire two of the aircraft for initial performance evaluation and testing. This will make Malaysia the third export client for the fighter after Nigeria and Myanmar. Block 2 variants of the JF-17 are expected to be delivered by mid 2020, and should their performance satisfy the requirements of the Malaysian Air Force they are likely to be purchased in larger numbers. Whether Malaysia intends to acquire the JF-17 solely to replace its Russian MiG-29 and American F-18 fighter squadrons, or whether it instead seeks to place larger orders to expand the size of its lightweight multirole fighter fleet, remains to be seen. The aircraft are set to serve as a lighter complement to the Air Force’s elite Su-30MKM air superiority fighters - eighteen of which are currently in service forming the backbone of Malaysia’s aerial warfare capacity.

The JF-17 has appealed to a number of clients due to its very low operational costs and ease of maintenance, as well as its low acquisition cost. Acquiring the fighter also allows countries to access state of the art Chinese munitions such as the YJ-12 anti ship cruise missile - which is capable of striking warships at ranges of up to 400km and at high speeds of Mach 4 and can disable most warships with a single strike. The aircraft’s design is set to be enhanced considerably with the entry into service of the JF-17 Block 3, which saw its first flight tests in 2019. Whether Malaysia will show interest in this more sophisticated but costly variant of the fighter remains to be seen.