Malaysian defence minister says Kuwait favourable to F/A-18C/D sale

A Kuwait Air Force Boeing F/A-18C of 9 Squadron latches onto a Mobile Aircraft Arresting System (MAAS) following a full-throttle approach at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, in July 2023. (USAF/Staff Sergeant Kevin Long)

Kuwait has reacted favourably to Malaysia's interest in acquiring its Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornet aircraft, according to Malaysian Minister of Defence Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

Khaled, who arrived in Kuwait for a “working visit” on 6 October, said in a statement that the Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Interior, Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah, provided “positive feedback” to Malaysia's “desire to acquire” the Kuwait Air Force's (KAF's) legacy F/A-18C/D aircraft. According to Khaled, he also spoke with the Kuwaiti Prime Minister, Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, about acquiring the legacy Hornets and was told there were “no obstacles regarding it”.

“Malaysia and Kuwait have agreed to set up a joint committee to initiate discussions and negotiations for the … procurement of the legacy Hornet fighter aircraft,” Khaled said.

The KAF operates 27 F/A-18Cs and six F/A-18Ds, which were inducted from 1992, according to Janes inventory data. Kuwait has ordered 28 new F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and 28 Eurofighter Typhoons. These are expected to result in the retirement of some F/A-18C/Ds, Janes assesses.

According to Khaled, he visited the KAF's 9 Squadron at Ahmed Al-Jaber Air Base to review the “condition of some” of the legacy F/A-18C/Ds. However, Khaled added that a sale of the KAF aircraft to Malaysia's procurement will depend on permission from the supplier country (the United States) and the delivery of Kuwait's new F-18E/Fs, according to Malaysian state-owned media.

Janes