India set for air combat exercise with Malaysia, which has also shown interest in Tejas

NEW DELHI: An IAF contingent of four Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets, a C-17 Globemaster-III strategic-lift aircraft and an IL-78 mid-air refueller left for Malaysia on Friday to participate in the bilateral `Udarashakti’ air combat exercise, even as India also remains the frontrunner to sell the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft to the Southeast Asian nation.
Udarashakti is an occasional bilateral exercise conducted between the Indian Air Force and Royal Malaysian Air Force, which also operates the Russian-origin Sukhoi-30MKM fighters.
The four-day exercise at the Kuantan airbase, which will involve various aerial combat drills, will “fortify the long-standing bond of friendship and enhance the avenues of defence cooperation between the two air forces, thereby augmenting security in the region”, an IAF officer said.
“The exercise will give an opportunity to IAF contingent members to share and learn best practices with some of the best professionals from RMAF, while also discussing mutual combat capabilities,” he added.
The exercise also comes at a time when the single-engine Tejas fighter is the frontrunner to bag a Malaysian order for 18 light twin-seat fighter trainers despite strong competition from Chinese JF-17, South Korean FA-50 and Russian MiG-35 and Yak-130 jets.
India, as part of its package, has also offered to set up an MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facility in Malaysia for its Sukhoi-30 fleet that is facing problems in procuring spares for the fighters from Russia in view of western sanctions against Moscow.
The IAF over the years has inducted 272 Sukhois (around 10 have crashed) for about $15 billion from Russia, with the bulk of them being licensed produced by defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL).
IAF has also ordered 123 Tejas jets from HAL so far, with the last contract for 73 Mark-1A fighters and 10 trainers at a cost of Rs 46,898 crore being inked in February last year. The 83 fighters have to be delivered in the 2024-2028 timeframe, though the slow annual production capacity of HAL has been a lingering problem.