Malaysia grounds MiG-29s and rethinks future fighter
Malaysia has put on hold a $2 billion plan to replace its aging fleet of combat aircraft, looking instead to upgrade its aerial surveillance capabilities to confront the growing threat of militancy inspired by the Islamic State group, a source with knowledge of the matter said.
Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy has for several years been weighing the competing merits of France’s Rafale jet and the Eurofighter Typhoon, built by Britain’s BAE Systems, as it looks to buy up to 18 jets to replace its Russian MiG-29 fighters – nearly half of which are grounded.
The Rafale fighter – built by Dassault Aviation SA – was until recently seen as the frontrunner, with the support of key officials in Malaysia’s defense ministry.
But Malaysia has shelved those plans for now as it looks to boost aerial surveillance that will be critical in its fight against militancy, a defense ministry source told Reuters.
