SHAH ALAM: Tim Nukleus Rejimen 882 is expected to take delivery of the two leased Black Hawk helicopters by year end, Malaysian Defence can reveal. The contract for the helicopters is expected to be signed anytime soon or at LIMA 23, at the end of this month.
The delivery date is dictated by the six-month period – after the contract is signed – for the training of pilots and technicians to operate the helicopters. So, if the contract signing is delayed – for whatever reason – the delivery date will also move forward likely into the new year.
The other two Black Hawks are expected to be delivered by end of 2024. Again, the timeline might change if there is a delay in signing the contract. As, reported previously, Rejimen 882 is now operating out of the Batu 10 Camp in Gambang, Kuantan. It is unclear though whether they will be operated out of the adjacent RMAF Kuantan airbase.
PUTD operates three AW109 helicopters out of its base adjacent to the 22 RAMD camp in Sandakan, a few kilometres away from the Sandakan airport. The tender for the leasing of the helicopters was published in July, 2022. Six bidders competed for the lease.
This March, the-then Army chief announced that the Black Hawks won the leasing tender. He said PUTD had chosen the Black Hawks as it had matched its requirements compared to the other competitors.
It must be noted that the helicopters leased are the UH-60A or 60A plus variants which have been sold to US private companies. According to one report, a UH-60A – sold by US companies and ex-US Army aircraft – is priced at US$6 million per aircraft or RM26 million at the current exchange rate. For more on the Black Hawk variants go here.
Malaysian Defence was told that the Black Hawks will be armed with mini-guns as used by most other users of the helicopters.
— Malaysian Defence
View Comments (6)
No digital camo please
Good. Hoping for Future Requirement. They buy Blackhawk...
Must have been some fancy maneuvers by the putd to evade Gading and Westar
Its simple really when they insisted on the underslung requirement. Plus the fact that the RMAF leased helicopters are limited to transporting passengers only
What is the justification by the gov/Army of using blackhawk? To replace AW109? If to replace Nuri then why didn't gov order 2nd batch of EC725?
It is to replace the Nuri. The Army always wanted the Black Hawks when it wanted a medium helicopter for troop and cargo transport. It was pushed to the Nuri as RMAF had wanted to replace or store them when they finally got the EC725s. RMAF at that point was pushing for additional EC725s, 12 or so. When the number of Nuri stored got higher, the ministry and Army leadership at that point pushed the Nuri to PUTD as it was the cheapest solution (relatively). As RMAF was still operating a small number of Nuris at that point, PUTD had no other option but to move ahead with it.
No one wants the EC725 anymore after the issues with the rotor head which resulted in the crashes a few years back. Even though Airbus had solved the issue (RSAF purchase of about a dozen or so in the last few years had shown that it had been solved) no one in RMAF wants to make a repeat buy. PUTD which was trained by RMAF is following suit.