Kuala Lumpur [Malaysia], July 12 (ANI): In a significant yet understated move to bolster its air capabilities in the South China Sea, Malaysia has secured U.S. approval to acquire up to 33 F/A-18C/D Hornet fighter jets from Kuwait, signaling a quiet but firm recalibration of regional power dynamics, The Eurasian Times reported.
The transfer, approved under Washington’s Arms Export Control Act, marks a strategic U.S. nod to Malaysia’s military modernization without provoking an overt geopolitical confrontation with China. Royal Malaysian Air Force Chief General Tan Sri Asghar Khan confirmed the approval on June 17, describing it as a critical upgrade amid rising threats in the Indo-Pacific.
Although Malaysia publicly maintains neutrality, this defense boost—covertly supported by the U.S.—reflects growing unease over China’s coercive actions, particularly near Malaysia’s maritime and airspace zones.
According to The Eurasian Times, Beijing’s belligerence continues to destabilize the region. In May alone, China deployed 70 warships and two carrier strike groups from the Yellow Sea to the South China Sea, intensifying its encirclement of Taiwan. Similar tactics have targeted Malaysian waters, including a provocative 2021 incursion by 16 Chinese military aircraft, which drew a formal diplomatic protest from Kuala Lumpur.
With its fighter fleet depleted by the retirement of MiG-29s and BAE Hawks, Malaysia’s acquisition of the well-maintained Kuwaiti Hornets—many upgraded with modern radars and electronic warfare systems—closes a glaring defense gap. U.S. backing here is part of a broader strategy to strengthen regional partners without forcing them into formal alliances, The Eurasian Times noted.
Even as Malaysia maintains trade and dialogue with Beijing, it faces repeated intrusions near Petronas oil rigs off Sarawak—areas claimed by China under its contested nine-dash line. Public backlash against Chinese aggression has grown, as seen in the 2025 boycott of Chagee tea shops after they displayed a map echoing Chinese territorial claims.
The Eurasian Times reported that the Hornet deal sends a quiet but clear signal: Malaysia, like other middle powers, is preparing for a future in which sovereignty cannot rely on diplomacy alone. As tensions simmer, U.S.-backed defense upgrades reflect a growing determination in Southeast Asia to resist China’s creeping expansionism—on Malaysia’s terms.
(ANI)
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