SINGAPORE \u2014 With the allure of Russian weapons waning in the shadow of the Ukraine war, Malaysia is considering pivoting to other Asian suppliers while also attempting to build a local industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Malaysia\u2019s defense capabilities have historically been highly dependent on foreign suppliers, and Russia has been among Kuala Lumpur\u2019s main dealers in the aerospace sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This appears to be changing, as the Russian-made aircraft the country operates are now facing a number of shortcomings. In 2017, Malaysia retired from service its MiG-29 fighter aircraft and has also struggled to keep its Su-30MKM ground-attack aircraft operational.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the Singapore Airshow here, a Malaysian Air Force jet, a Moscow-supplied Su-30, was one of the only visible displays of military equipment made in Russia. At some point in the future, there may be next to none at all left flying, according to the plane\u2019s pilot, who asked to remain unnamed for security reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The West\u2019s sanctions against Russia represent one of the key reasons why the government is looking to buy elsewhere, the pilot told Defense News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bans placed on Moscow after its troops invaded Ukraine are preventing Malaysia from buying the Su-30 directly from the Kremlin, implying that existing stocks of spare ones could run out, an analysis<\/a> by the International Institute for Strategic Studies found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the countries attempting to jump into the business is South Korea, which signed a contract last year<\/a> to provide 18 Korean-made FA-50 fighter jets to Malaysia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Jan. 27, South Korea and Malaysia also held defense talks in Seoul to discuss boosting bilateral security partnerships and joint drills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n