India’s Tejas plane emerges as Malaysia’s best choice for its new fighter jet programme

India’s Tejas mild fight plane has emerged because the best choice for Malaysia because the Southeast Asian nation appears at changing its ageing fleet of fighter jets and the 2 sides are holding negotiations to agency up the procurement.

Malaysia has narrowed down on the Indian plane however the stiff competitors from China’s JF-17 jet, South Korea’s FA-50 and Russia’s Mig-35 in addition to Yak-130, Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, R Madhavan, informed PTI in an interview.

As a part of the bundle, India has supplied to arrange an MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) facility in Malaysia for its Russian-origin Su-30 fighter fleet as it’s dealing with difficulties in procuring spares for the plane from Russia in view of western sanctions towards Moscow.

“I am very confident about it unless some political shift takes place,” Madhavan mentioned when requested whether or not the deal could be closed quickly.

The high govt of the state-run aerospace behemoth mentioned if the deal is sealed, it would give a “very good signal” to different potential consumers of the plane and increase its total export potential.

“It (the negotiation) is almost in the final stages. We are the only country which is offering them the support for their Su-30 aircraft as other than Russia, we are the only one who can support them to the extent that they require for the Sukhoi fleet,” Madhavan mentioned.

It is learnt that the Chinese JF-17 was cheaper however couldn’t match the technical parameters of the Tejas Mk-IA variant and the provide of upkeep of the Su-30 fleet as proposed by India.

A workforce of high-ranking officers and consultants is predicted to go to India quickly to take ahead the procurement course of.
Malaysia is procuring the plane to interchange its ageing fleet of Russian MiG-29 fighter planes. The variety of plane that Malaysia is taking a look at procuring shouldn’t be instantly clear.

Madhavan mentioned Tejas is a a lot superior plane in comparison with JF-17 and FA-50 and that the choice of the Indian plane would offer Malaysia with the choice to go in for future upgrades of the fleet.

Tejas, manufactured by HAL, is a single-engine and extremely agile multi-role supersonic fighter plane able to working in high-threat air environments.
In February final yr, the defence ministry sealed a Rs 48,000 crore cope with HAL for the procurement of 83 Tejas fighter plane for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
India has began work on the MK 2 model of the Tejas in addition to on an formidable USD 5 billion mission to develop a fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

“We actually are the only one who covered everything that they require and we met their budget requirements as well,” Madhavan mentioned.
“Nobody will offer them upgrades so fast as we would offer. They will have an alternative available in Tejas Mark 2 and they can even think of AMCA,” the HAL chief added.

He mentioned HAL goes to keep up the identical degree of companies to Malaysia because it has been giving to the IAF.
Asked whether or not the availability of Tejas jets to the IAF can be impacted if HAL wins the Malaysian contract, Madhavan mentioned the manufacturing of the plane could be ramped up relying on the requirement.

According to the plan, the HAL would begin delivering the jets (Mk-IA variant) to the IAF in 2025 and all 83 jets should be handed over by 2030.
Madhavan mentioned if the cope with Malaysia is sealed, it would sign the acceptability of the plane, which might consequence within the opening up of many different choices.
“We now have a very good platform. It is the best in this category,” he mentioned.