The first two KAI FA-50M light combat aircraft for the Royal Malaysian Air Force have arrived at Kuantan Air Base, completing their ferry flight from South Korea ahead of formal acceptance by Malaysia.
Aircraft M58-01 and M58-02 landed at Kuantan at 3:38 p.m. local time on November 1. Both will now undergo final acceptance testing before they are formally handed over to the Malaysian service later this month.
The two FA-50Ms departed Korea Aerospace Industries facilities in Sacheon, South Korea, on October 29 for a ferry flight through Jeju, Laoag in the Philippines and Labuan in Malaysia.
The journey did not go entirely according to plan. M58-01 reached Labuan on October 30, where Malaysian Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin attended its arrival. M58-02 was delayed by a technical issue and reached Labuan on November 1.
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Both aircraft then departed together for Kuantan. Malaysian pilots flew aboard the FA-50Ms alongside KAI pilots during the final leg of the journey.
Malaysian FA-50M program
Malaysia ordered 18 FA-50Ms from Korea Aerospace Industries in 2023 under a contract valued at nearly RM4 billion. The aircraft will equip the Royal Malaysian Air Force's No. 15 Squadron.
The FA-50M is a Malaysian-specific version of KAI's FA-50 light combat aircraft. Its equipment includes an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, a Sniper targeting pod and an aerial refueling probe for probe-and-drogue operations.
M58-01, the first aircraft produced for Malaysia, made its maiden flight in South Korea earlier this year. The arrival of the first pair in Malaysia marks the beginning of the delivery phase, although the aircraft will not formally enter the RMAF inventory until the acceptance process is completed.
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Malaysia expects to have six FA-50Ms by April 2027, while deliveries of all 18 aircraft are scheduled to be completed by 2028. The type is also expected to take over missions currently performed by the country's aging BAE Systems Hawk 108 and Hawk 208 fleet.
The Malaysian government is planning a second acquisition under its Fighter Lead-In Trainer/Light Combat Aircraft program, but has not yet selected an aircraft for that requirement. Although additional FA-50s have previously been discussed, Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said Malaysia has yet to decide whether the next batch will consist of the same type or another aircraft.
