THE STAR/BERNAMA – When the Defence Ministry seals the deal to procure 18 FA-50 ‘Fighting Eagle’ from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) today, the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) will be getting its hands on the most capable variant of the fighter jet, the Block 20.
Speaking exclusively via a translator to Bernama, KAI Chief Executive Officer Kang Goo-young said the FA-50 Block 20 variant to be procured by Malaysia is more advanced and capable than even the FA-50 operated by the Republic of Korea Air Force (Rokaf) and other countries.
Currently, only RMAF and the Polish Air Force have opted for the latest variant of the ‘Fighting Eagle’. “The FA-50 Block 20 for Polish and Malaysian air forces is the newest version and has the most capabilities. I would like to say that the capabilities for both Poland and Malaysia are identical.
“There are differences between the FA-50 operated by Rokaf and the Block 20 exported to Malaysia and Poland. The difference is the Korean version operated by Rokaf does not have the AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar; it has the conventional radar. It also does not have the targetting pod and refuelling system.”
