Malaysia's Air Force Chief Confirms Interest In Purchasing Russian Buk Air Defense Systems

The chief of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), Gen. Affendi Buang, confirmed to Sputnik on Wednesday that Kuala Lumpur was considering purchasing Russian-made Buk medium-range surface-to-air missile systems as well as other pieces of military equipment

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th April, 2019) The chief of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), Gen. Affendi Buang, confirmed to Sputnik on Wednesday that Kuala Lumpur was considering purchasing Russian-made Buk medium-range surface-to-air missile systems as well as other pieces of military equipment.

In March, Russian state-owned corporation Rostec told Sputnik that Malaysia was interested in buying Russian air defense systems, including Buk systems.

"At the moment, the Malaysian forces are still evaluating the system. The Russian air defense system, particularly the Buk air missile system, is one of the systems that is under the Malaysian consideration," the RMAF chief said on the sidelines of the eighth Moscow Conference on International Security (MCIS).

Kuala Lumpur is also looking into Russian-made ground-based defense radars, among other equipment, the official noted.

The three-day security conference opened in the Russian capital on Tuesday. The MCIS is an annual event, which brings together defense ministers, representatives of international and non-governmental organizations, and military experts. Last year, the conference was attended by some 850 delegates from 95 countries, according to the organizers.