Malaysia is currently considering purchasing a new type of light single-engine fighter jet to modernize its air force, with the top three candidates being the South Korean F / A-50, the JF-17. of Sino-Pakistan and Tejas of India. According to some sources, the country’s armed forces are now leaning in favor of the JF-17, a significantly longer operational aircraft that has been produced in larger numbers and deployed. operated by three countries including Pakistan, Myanmar and Nigeria. The F / A-50 fighter is also considered a prime candidate, but the Tejas fighter is not. Other contenders believed to have been eliminated were the Yak-130 of Russia, the British Hawk and the US-Swedish Gripen. The Yak-130 and Hawk had much more limited combat capabilities and were unable to fly hypersonic, while the Gripen had limited features in use. The JF-17 and Tejas have long been regarded as rival fighter jet programs, both of which have many similarities including being very light in weight, and they are smaller than class fighters. Light standard as F-16 and J-10 in size. Both are designed to favor low operating costs and use derivative engines, the engine developed for the Cold War medium-weight two-engine fighters, but used in one engine configuration. Tejas engine was derived from the American F-18, while the JF-17 used engines from the Soviet MiG-29, a direct competitor of the US F-18 during the Cold War. . Both fighters are designed to serve the primary goal of air combat and are built to operate at low cost with either minimal fuel consumption or maintenance requirements. It can be speculated that the reason why Malaysia prefers Pakistan’s JF-17. This fighter was produced in larger numbers and had less difficulty in development than during the Tejas development. Indian fighters entered service more than 40 years after development began. The JF-17 is also available in many variants including a two-seat attack and training variant like the JF-17B. Sino-Pakistani jets are also more compatible with modern armament to which Malaysia is currently heavily dependent, while the Tejas is a Westernized aircraft. Tejas uses American engines, especially Israel’s avionics systems, which is a big drawback for an Islamic country like Malaysia – which doesn’t like Israelis. Tejas is also significantly more costly to manufacture due to the less efficient production line and the very high cost of the component parts from the US and Israel on which it depends. The latest Tejas variants especially have a superior radar advantage over the JF-17 Block 2. However the upcoming JF-17 Block 3 variant is expected to go into mass production by the end of 2023 and will be available. the performance is far superior. Among the outstanding features of the JF-17 Block 3, the most prominent are the integration of AESA radar, Chinese PL-15 air-to-air missile, improved engines and generation avionics. Thursday. In the end, no matter what type of fighter aircraft is chosen, the new aircraft will be a secondary force, while the elite Malaysian air force still consists of Russian Su-30MKA heavy fighters. In addition, the country is particularly interested in more modern Su-57 next-generation fighters. Photo source: Pinterest. India introduced the Tejas fighter – the best domestic fighter the country has ever built. Source: Nigel Woolley.

“The test was done with a script dealing with an external air attack. As soon as it detected and locked the target, the fighter launched Bozdogan. The missile hit the target with absolute precision. “The Turkish Air Force said in a statement.

Self-produced rocket launchers F-16 Earth.

The source added that, prior to this exemplary interception, Bozdogan also successfully conducted many other interceptions when launched from fixed platforms on the ground.

These are state tests before they enter service. The results of the Bozdogan development program have made not only the manufacturer, the Air Force but also President Recep Tayyip Erdogan very pleased.

“When officially put into service, Ankara will have a weapon that no other country has. In particular, this missile will replace the US-made AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-9X ammunition. served in the Turkish Air Force, “Erdogan said.

According to Drive, not only the US-made AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9X are gradually being replaced in Turkey, but the legendary American anti-ship missile Harpoon also suffers the same fate in the Turkish Navy.

Specifically, on the new generation of Turkish Milgem-class warships, Harpoon is replaced by the Atmaca (Hawk) missile line researched and developed by Turkish defense contractor Roketsan.

It is known that Atmaca is the first anti-ship missile produced by Turkey. It can glide through ships before hitting and destroying any warship it targets.

At first glance, the Atmaca missile looks quite similar to Russia’s Harpoon or Kh-35 anti-ship missiles. Like other rockets, Atmaca is launched from a launcher using a rocket engine, helping to propel the missile to move at high speed.

After finishing the propulsion process, the jet engine will be activated and help the missile fly to the target position. Thanks to the integration of an altimeter radar, the missile can fly just above the waves easily to avoid being shot down when attacking enemies. Roketsan officially developed the Atmaca missile since 2009.

The missile can operate in all weather conditions, highly effective against moving and fixed targets at sea. The maximum range of the Atmaca is believed to be about 250km – this range is much further than the AGM-84 Harpoon.

“A powerful Turkey needs to have state-of-the-art weapons of its own in order not to be dependent on external supply, even though those countries are known as close allies.

In some areas that are not yet our strengths, such as defensive weapons and fighters, Ankara will seek partners that are more reliable and not affected by political factors, “said a member of the company. Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) said.

From the statement of the AKP representative showed that this is the reason why Turkey decided to carry out the deal of Russia’s S-400 interceptor system despite the US and some NATO members threatening sanctions. .

In addition, the Turkish Air Force is currently negotiating with the Russian side on the fighter deal. It is not clear that this NATO member is looking to buy Russian Su-35 fighter or Su-57 stealth fighter.