Malaysia’s fighter jet deal to ‘quietly’ boost South China Sea defences

The United States’ approval of Malaysia’s purchase of dozens of fighter jets is set to bolster the Southeast Asian country’s air capabilities – especially in the South China Sea – as part of a strategy to “quietly” build deterrence while also preserving cordial ties with China.

Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) chief General Tan Sri Asghar Khan Goriman Khan confirmed during a June 17 briefing that Washington had approved Malaysia’s request to acquire up to 33 used F/A-18C/D Hornet fighter jets from Kuwait.

The move, which requires congressional sign-off under the US Arms Export Control Act, comes after years of negotiations that began in 2017. Malaysian Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari has said the deal is expected to be finalised this year.

Abdul Rahman Yaacob, a research fellow at the Lowy Institute’s Southeast Asia programme, said the purchase of the fighter jets would significantly bolster Malaysia’s air defence capabilities.

“This is critical in East Malaysia, where Malaysia’s energy blocks are located in the South China Sea, close to Sarawak,” Rahman said.

If deployed in East Malaysia, the Hornets would complement newly developed naval facilities in Sarawak and demonstrate Kuala Lumpur’s efforts to build deterrence in an area that had seen increasing Chinese activity, Rahman added.