SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.
According to a report in ” Financial Express” Next month, a high-level Malaysian delegation is expected to visit India where the possibility of India and Malaysia concluding a deal for the supply of 18 LCA-Tejas Trainer and Single seater aircraft is likely to be concluded. Defense PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited ( HAL) recently established an office in the country’s capital Kuala Lumpur to tap new business opportunities in the country.
HAL also has offered its service in the supply of spares for Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Su-30MKM fleet and has offered upgrade packages to its aging Hawk 108 and Hawk 208 jets. idrw.org in its previous report had mentioned that RMAF already has submitted its report to the Malaysian Minister of Defence on its preferred jet and it was expected that the winner of the tender will be announced by end of this month.
Malaysia has made it mandatory that 50% of the total cost of an aircraft purchase tender be paid in the form of barter trade in the supply of palm oil to which HAL has agreed and the Government of India already has appointed a trading partner for the barter to take place.
RMAF wants FLITs to replace the currently grounded fleet of seven Aermacchi MB-339CM jet trainers, while the LCAs will replace the 18 BAE Systems Hawk Mk 108 twin-seat and Mk 208 single-seat LCAs in service. RMAF plans to procure 18 jets in the first batch and another 18 jets in the second batch most likely by 2025.
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