Malaysia buys both F-18E and Su-30

Malaysia-Singapore
Buying Russian fighters
Is Malaysia in arms race with “southern neighbour?” Several e-letters on Malaysiakini.

The following AFP story has raised a brief debate about a possible arms race:

MOSCOW – Russia’s Sukhoi 30MK jet fighters will be part of Malaysia’s upgraded air force, the Sukhoi producer’s spokesman said Friday as quoted by the Interfax news agency.
Malaysia would buy both Russia’s Su-30MK fighters and US-made F-18E “Superhornets”, Vitaly Zelenkov of Russia’s Irkutsk aviation factory said.
The number of fighters and other conditions had not yet been specified, Zelenkov said.
The Sukhoi jetfighters were among those considered by Malaysia for the Royal Malaysian Air Force as part of Malaysia’s military upgrading process. – AFP