SHAH ALAM: Candidates for RMN utility helicopter programme. In the original post for the RMN utility helicopter programme, I wrote that the Leonardo AW139 and the Airbus H145M as among the likely candidates.
The Turkish Aerospace Industries Gokbey utility helicopter is unlikely to be offered for the tender as the first prototype only flew recently, unless the politicians got in the way of course.
Gokbey helicopter prototype. TAI
Elephant In The Room
Before we list the other helicopters likely to be offered for the RMN tender, we must also faced the elephant in the room, used or second hand rotorcraft. First, it’s the four Sikorsky Blackhawks previously offered by Brunei to Malaysia.
RBAF S-70A Blackhawk helicopter. USAF photo
As I reported previously these helicopters were offered for RM58 million only, much lower than the RM220 million budget allocated for the RMN programme. It is likely the tender would not had happened if RMN had wanted them or similar specced helicopters.
MHS Aviation EC225. Airbus
The other used helicopters available for RMN are the five EC225 owned by MHS Aviation, currently in Miri and flown periodically to ensure they will be available for service, when and if it comes.
One of the two Leonardo AW189 9M-BOE as seen stored at the Leonardo hangar in Subang in March, 2018.
These helicopters were bought to service Petronas O&G needs but have been idled after the contract was terminated after several crashes involving similar helicopters, the last one being the fatal crash in Norway on April, 2016. These helicopters do not meet the requirement of the tender, not because they are used, so they should not be in the mix.
The Others
If the Blackhawk did not meet the requirements of the tender, so will it be plain sailing for Leonardo and Airbus then? Not really as Sikorsky has the S-76 of course. Sikorsky had displayed the latest version of the S-76, the D, in Malaysia back in 2016
A round a dozen or so of this rotorcraft though mostly the B and C variants, are already in service in Malaysia, mostly for the O&G industry.
A S-76D of the Japan Coast Guard.
Leonardo could also offer the bigger version of the AW139, the AW189 for the requirement of course. Two of these helicopters were already bought for the Bomba air wing. As these were purchased for RM105 million each, I am not sure whether it can really be an alternative to the smaller AW139 though.
Airbus H160. Airbus
As for Airbus, apart from H145M and H145, it could also offer two other helicopters, namely the H160 and H175. Both meet the requirements though again at the end of the day, they will still need to abide with the budget allocation. The H175 is supposed to be in the same class as the AW189 but the H160 is the latest twin medium helicopter from Airbus. The company is producing a military variant of the helicopter, though this version will only enter service in 2022. Its not relevant to this tender however.
Hong Kong based Government Flying Service (GFS) has received three H175s in public services configuration, becoming the world’s first operator of this new variant which enlarges the H175 mission capacity to search and rescue (SAR), emergency medical services, law enforcement, firefighting as well as land and maritime border control operations. Seven H175 are in service with the GFS. Airbus
Another helicopter that could possibly be offered for the tender is the HAL Dhruv. I read somewhere it had been offered previously to Malaysia though I am not certain for what programme and which version, the skid or the one fitted with wheels.
HAL Dhruv. By Neuwieser – https://www.flickr.com/photos/neuwieser/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6177777
Bell Helicopters could also be in the mix with the Bell 412EPI. If offered for the programme, the 412EPI, will be the second skid equipped helicopter after the H145, if the Dhruv offered is the version fitted with wheels.
Bell 412EPI. Bell
Of course, there are the Russian and China utility helicopters as well. From the requirements of the tender, only the Kamov 60 and the AVIC AC352 helicopters will be able to make the cut. Both – based on their track records or the lack of it – will not rock the boat even if offered at rock bottom prices.
— Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (49)
Dhruv? How about no. Ecuador bought them and within 2,3 years more than half of their dhruv crashed.
Reply
It could be offered. I will not say any further about this lest some one writes berating me about it
On the blackhawk and EC225LP.
I believe that TLDM would not take this utility helicopter matter in their own hands if they can depend on TUDM for its helicopter needs. If the blackhawk purchase went through, all of those helicopters would be dedicated to ESSCOM, negating the need for TLDM to get its own utility helicopters.
On the EC225LP. It is a no brainer for those helicopters (and a few others, i think awan inspirasi EC225LP are also still in malaysia, and there is even an unused EC225LP still stored in malaysia) to be taken up by TUDM. French navy and ukraine for example are a few military branch using civilian EC225LP.
BTW what is the general requirement for this?
If transporting PASKALs for raid or such, adding external benches to the fennec like the picture below can be done (kits already approved to install on the ecureuil and used by SWAT teams worldwide)
http://www.ocregister.com/wp-content/uploads/migration/nv3/nv339d-09.tustinshots.0410.ks.jpg
..., - “i believe that TLDM would not take this utility helicopter matter in their own hands if they can depend on TUDM for its helicopter needs”
Unless the RMAF can allocate a number of helis to be based in ESSCOM with their primary tasking being to support the RMN (unlikely); it does make sense for the RMN to want to have the ability to have a platform with a better lift capacity - compared to what it already has - to meet its specifics needs; whether it’s to transport PASKAL or to move equipment from Point A to B. Given that the LCSs will enter service without their ASW configured helos; these 3 platforms can ;or also will) be embarked to perform various roles.
.., - “BTW what is the general requirement for this”
From what I’ve heard (as far back as 2016 actually); the general requirement is for a platform which can lift a PASKAL team and its equipment to anywhere they need to go; not necessarily straight into action but general transport. This is a problem with the existing Super Lynxs and the Fennecs.
We can also say that the selected platform will also carry other other duties like CASEVAC, mercy flights, general surveillance, SAR, etc, roles the Super Lynxs and Fennecs have long been performing from shore and from the decks of ships.
@...
"On the EC225LP. It is a no brainer"
From article:- These helicopters (EC225) do not meet the requirement of the tender, not because they are used, so they should not be in the mix.
@Marhalim
16 units of Canadian made Bell 412EPI are up for sale (https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2018/02/14/philippines-terminates-234m-helicopter-contract-with-canada/) with the right nego tactics, we could get more than we need since they would be desperate to offload the aborted deal.
But one query, if its for TLDM usage, should the choppers be marinised? If that's the case, which are most suitable?
As to the buy, my take is 2 options; since we don't have much money getting used or canceled orders would maximise the numbers we can get. The Blackhawks and B412 fits the bill.
But if we should go for new then consider that eventually TLDM still needs to get their ASW choppers, so my take is why not get the utility choppers from the same maker or even the same chopper model as our eventual ASW (ie AW149/159 Wildcat, EC725/H225M).
Reply
Most of the helicopters I wrote about are all used in O&G industry so they should be fine for frequent used at sea
why is russian helos not even in the picture for this.programe?
@ joe
The EC225LP is a no brainer for TUDM. The CAP55 states that it will go for a 2 skuadron of medium lift helicopter, and EC225LP can fulfil that by replacing the nuris.
The philippines contract was cancelled before those helicopters are built.
Given that they will be embarked on ships and when on land will be operating near the coast; of course they should be marinised.
Absolutely no question about it.
.../Marhalim,
Local 225s are no longer available. In fact there is a surge of demand for 225 globally. The news is rather discrete tho.
...,
Navy has different priority all together. 8 pax above is not their top 3.
Marhalim,
I must disagree.
If navy must choose a 12 pax helicopter, there is only 1.5 choice. The others are not even in the picture.
Azlan,
LCS will not enter service without AWSH. First ship commission is 5 years away.