| Tender To Replace Nuri Copters To Be Highly Competitive, Says UK Spokesman |
| Special - LIMA 2007 |
| Written by Bernama |
| Saturday, 01 December 2007 18:00 |
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LANGKAWI, Dec 2 -- The international tender to replace the ageing fleet of Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Nuri helicopters is expected to be highly competitive, a spokesman of the United Kingdom Defence Ministry, Adam Thomas, said here today. "We know that Malaysia is now talking of replacing the (Nuri) helicopters. I think it is going to be (a) highly competitive (tender)," he told Bernama when asked about the tender to replace the Nuri helicopters which the government had opened on Nov 6. "From my point of view it is very good if they can think about us (consider a UK-based firm for the contract)," said Thomas, who is Director of Public Affairs of the Defence Export Services Organisation of the United Kingdom. Thomas is in Langkawi with the UK delegation to the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Lima) 2007 scheduled from Tuesday to Saturday. It is learnt that many foreign helicopter manufacturing companies are expected to brief the Malaysian government on the aircraft they produce which can replace the Nuri. The firms, which will be present at Lima 2007, will be giving their technical presentations to the government. The US-Malaysia Aerospace Council (UMAC) of the American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM Malaysia) has expressed the hope that the Malaysian government will give due consideration to American helicopter manufacturers, contending that the US-based firms had the proper technology and capabilities to meet the RMAF needs. Italian helicopter firm AgustaWestland's Merlin helicopter was also said to be the ideal replacement for the Nuri because of the aircraft's all-weather capabilities and its range. The tender has stated, among other things, that the helicopter to replace the Nuri must be able to perform a variety of roles, including troop transport capacity to move at least 25 people, as well as combat, and search and rescue, and have a rear ramp. The Mi-17-1V of one of the main Russian manufacturers of helicopters, Kazan Helicopters, is also said to be a close contender. Kazan Helicopters has secured the sale of two Mi-17-1V helicopters to the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said on Nov 22 that the government had opened the tender for the replacement of Nuri helicopters on Nov 6. "The tender has gone out. We will wait and see what happens," Najib told reporters in Kuala Lumpur recently when asked about the tender for the replacement of the Nuri aircraft. The American-made Nuri or Sikorsky will be replaced in stages and its service will be terminated in 2012. The first replacement will involve 12 units, which are expected to be acquired in two to three years. Since the Nuri helicopters were acquired in 1968, fifteen of the aircraft have crashed, resulting in the deaths of 70 military personnel and 19 civilians. |