The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) has showed strong interest in obtaining India’s BrahMos Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) to supplement its Sukhoi-30MKM fighter aircraft. The Mach 3 capable missile, with a range of 290 kilometers, will significantly enhance the RMAF’s naval strike capabilities.
However, integrating the BrahMos ALCM with the Su-30MKM platform is not a simple task. Before carrying the 2.5-ton missile, the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Su-30MKI aircraft underwent a sophisticated structural hardening process. This required considerable changes to the aircraft’s airframe to handle the massive launch forces.
Also Read: IAF aims to boost MiG-29 with stand-off weapon
Given the similarities between the Su-30MKI and Su-30MKM, the RMAF will most likely need to engage Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), who devised and carried out the IAF’s structural hardening technique, to do a comparable modification for their fleet.
This would incur enormous expenditures and time, but the acquisition of the BrahMos ALCM is likely to significantly boost the RMAF’s naval strike capacity in the region. If the agreement is completed, it will be a key milestone in India’s defence exports while also strengthening bilateral ties with Malaysia.
