Saab’s vice-president and head of Saab Malaysia, Thomas Linden, said the leasing solution is the latest development and it has made similar proposals to Brazil and Switzerland.
“The Malaysian air force can use the planes at full usage and the entire decision lies in the hands of the government of Malaysia. It is a fiscal decision,” Linden said on the sidelines of the 14th Defence Services Asia, here, yesterday.
He declined to reveal details such as on contract value, number of planes and package.
Malaysia has long mulled over buying the MRCA to replace its ageing fleet of superfighters, such as the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s fleet of Russian-made MiG-29N Fulcrum air superiority fighters.
Others said to be on the shortlist are Dassault Aviation’s Rafale, Sukhoi’s SU-35E Flanker, the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Boeing F/A-18EF Super Hornet.
However, no decision has been made by the government yet.
It is believed that besides SAAB, other aircraft companies have also come out with similar leasing proposals to the government.
Linden said the idea is not new as Hungary and Czechoslovakia have forged similar leaseback agreements with Saab.
He said to date, Saab has an order book of RM30 billion for its fighter jets, adding that it is normal for governments to take a long time before they decide to buy fighter aircraft. -NST
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