Malaysia receives first two FA-50M fighter jets from South Korea
3 min read
South Korea has delivered the first two of 18 ordered FA-50M Golden Eagles to Malaysia, paving the way for Malaysia to become the seventh operator of the type.
The sale of FA-50s to Malaysia is also seen as paving the way for KAI’s new KF-21 multirole fighter to be a leading option to replace its fleet of F/A-18 and Su-30MKM fighter jets.
KAI delivers first two FA-50M Golden Eagles to Malaysia
On the 2nd of November, South Korea’s Yonhap news outlet reported that Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) had delivered the first two FA-50M Golden Eagle light combat aircraft to Malaysia.
The deliveries are part of a 2023 contract to supply 18 light jets to Malaysia.
According to the report, two FA-50M aircraft departed from KAI’s headquarters in Sacheon on the 29th of October. They arrived at Malaysia’s Kuantan Air Base on the 31st.
The Golden Eagles have yet to be formally handed over to the Royal Malaysian Air Force after completing final acceptance tests.
Malaysia is purchasing the new Golden Eagles to replace its ageing Hawk 108 and Hawk 208 advanced trainer and light combat aircraft as it carries out military modernization programmes.
The Malaysian Air Force and efforts to upgrade tactical fleet
The Royal Malaysian Air Force currently fields a fleet of 18 Su-30MKM heavy multirole fighter jets used for air superiority and long-range strike missions.
These are complemented by a fleet of seven two-seat multirole F/A-18D legacy Hornets. Malaysia had intended to purchase ex-Kuwaiti legacy Hornets as the Gulf State upgrades to Super Hornets.
In February 2026, the Malaysian Cabinet formally scrapped plans to acquire surplus Kuwaiti F/A-18C/D Hornets. The confusion or limbo over Kuwait’s upgrade to Super Hornets further strained the acquisition.
Malaysia’s fleet of around 12 BAE Hawks also provides a light combat and secondary training role. These are set for full retirement in 2028.
For now, the FA-50 is the main Malaysian modernization effort. Beyond that, the future MRCA programme is its medium-to-long-term effort to find a next-generation multirole fighter to replace the legacy Hornets (around 2035) and Sukhois (around 2040).
The programme is expected to begin around 2029-2030, with the Korean KAI KF-21 Boramae being considered a serious candidate.
South Korea considers Malaysia to be a potential export customer alongside the UAE, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Korean T-50 Golden Eagle popular on export market
The underlying KAI T-50 Golden Eagle family is a South Korean advanced supersonic trainer and light combat aircraft developed in partnership with Lockheed Martin.
Depending on the variant, it can carry out light strike and multirole light fighter jet roles.
Development started in the 1990s, with the programme achieving its first flight in 2002. It entered service with Korea’s ROKAF in 2005 and has since become popular on the export market.
As of 2026, at least 226 units have been built and are in service with South Korea, Iraq, Indonesia, the Philippines, Poland, and Thailand.
Poland hurriedly ordered the jet in 2022 in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to urgently fill the void left by its ageing and retiring legacy Soviet-era MiG-29s.
