SHAH ALAM: Last month, Chief of Defence Forces TS Muhammad Ab Rahman said that the RMAF will operate at least twelve Leonardo AW149 utility helicopters under a leasing programme mooted by the Prime Minister’s Department and the National Security Council.
“The government has ordered the RMAF to follow a leasing programme for helicopters for ministries and government agencies co-ordinated by the Public-Private Sector Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department (JKAS) and National Security Council,” he told reporters after the Armed Forces Day demonstration held at Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan on October 5.
Now it appears that the Army will also have four AW149 helicopters under the same leasing programme. It is unclear when the delivery will take place though. It may take a year based on what happened with RMAF leased AW139 helicopters. This may result in the Army taking delivery of the helicopters earlier than RMAF. This is not surprising as the PUTD has been waiting for its Nuri replacement since almost four years now.
It must be noted that the leasing contract for the helicopters have yet to be finalised though I was told it is very soon. Do note that the AW149 deal for the Army depends on the Defence Ministry canceling the leasing contract for the four Black hawk helicopters. The latest deadline for their delivery is supposed to be by the end of the month.
Apart from the Army and RMAF, RMN will also take delivery of helicopters under the same leasing programme though as it already operating two AW139s, theirs will be the same machines as well.
Apart from the leased AW149s, I was told that the deal for 136 High Mobility Armoured Vehicles (HMAV) and 18 SPH are also being finalised. The HMAV will be Tarantula and the SPH, Eva M2. These will be procured directly of course.
— Malaysian Defence
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Good seeing HMAV getting buyer. hopefully the fun generated will be used for R&D for their planned 6*6 armored vehicle programme
Im gonna sound stupid due to my lack of knowledge.
So the gov will be leasing potentially 16x AW149. Just want to clarify that it will be the militarised AW149 right? Since if its the commercial one it will be announced as leasing AW189.
I dont see how we gonna lease a proper military helicopter through a local company unless its a direct leasing deal with the oem which is Leonardo.
Because leasing a commercial or civil heli, its easier to use it for other role like EMS, LE, SAR or offshore. Dont see how another company can take the risk of buying a military heli just for leasing. Unless the military been told to lease it for its entire service life.
Any clarification will be helpful. Tq.
Ohh look Multiple agencies are sharing a common platform.
The original lease plan
PUTD – 12x AW149
TLDM – 2x AW139
BOMBA – 4x AW139
APMM – 2x AW189
PDRM – 7x Bell 429 (replacement of the AS355 ecureuil 2?)
JPM – 1x AW189 (how many VIP helicopters does our government need? Why do we have 2 Skn TUDM not being used for VIP movments?)
Total helicopter to be leased – 28 units
Cost – RM16.8 billion for 15 years (RM1.12 billion annually taken from OPEX for 15 years)
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GZIqh2RbkAAkPik.jpg
So the plans have been changed, with 12x AW149 to TUDM and 4x AW149 to PUTD??
This is just a sample of say 12 more H225M bought for TUDM + maintenance for 15 years.
Eurocopter offer utk 12 EC725 in 2008 – EUR233,345,390. Round this up to say EUR250 million.
https://t.co/lQqvlJu87e
Assume that cost is just for helicopters, no maintenance included. Recent Boustead BHICAS maintenance contract for 5 years is RM378 million
https://t.co/Yjq8oD9q3Q
Maintenance contract RM378 x3 = RM1.134 billion.
Add it all up – EUR250 million (RM1.175 billion) + RM1.134 billion = RM2.309 billion
RM2.309 billion for 12 helicopters + 15 years of maintenance (at high Boustead markup rates). Evan if the cost is extrapolated for 28 helicopters, it will be just RM5.388 billion, massively less than the RM16.8 billion lease cost.
For PUTD, lets say if we are going to buy outright 24 used blackhawk helicopters.
https://www.malaysiandefence.com/portuguese-af-fire-fighting-black-hawks/
The contract for 6 is for USD47 million or around RM205 million with todays exchange rate. The contract price (unlike said in the article) includes training for six pilots and 21 mechanics, plus five years of onsite maintenance and logistical support.
Lets say we buy 24 used blackhawks outright. + 10 years maintenance cost as per Boustead EC725. That would be
(RM205x4) + (RM378x4) = 820 + 2952 = RM3.772 billion
So for outright buy of 12 H225M + 24 used Blackhawks + 15 years maintenance = RM6.081 billion. Still far cheaper than lease 28 helicopters for RM16.8 billion.
So where is the savings from all this? Why Billions wasted on lease when that extra billions can be used to buy more lethal weapons that we could use to defend our country?
Not much details is available yet.
As for the 136 tarantula HMAV
So that is the vehicle to replace the Condors in Kor Armor DiRaja cavalry regiments?
How much would it cost?
Could it be the same as what Thai Army buys its First Win MRAP (RM2.2 million per vehicle, rather than RM7 million paid by TDM for Lipanbara) ?
I am for TDM to get more capabilities that we still do not have first, rather than replacing something we already have, but it seems that “national interest” prevails.
IMO I would prefer MILDEF to create something like the FNSS PARS 4×4 or Nurol Makin NMS, rather than someting large like the tarantula.
I’m actually happy it’s Eva [assuming it goes through] because it does away with the need for operators to be out in the open exposed to the elements and nasty bits of metal flying around. Try operating arty out in the open during a storm or when counter battery fire is in progress.
Cynics will ask if Eva is “proven” [a cliche]; prior to Ukraine was Caesar ‘proven”? Mali doesn’t count as the rebels did not have artillery, UASs or loitering munitions. Also, what artillery system which was not “proven” was a let down when first used in combat?
Can anyone explain what is the advantages of Eva SPH compared to Caesar SPH? Some said Eva is better due to fully auto and has better protection.
… – “So where is the savings from all this?”
Engaging in rhetorics or genuinely asking? Who said there were any savings …
“lethal weapons that we could use to defend our country”
You make it sound like we’re on the verge of going to war or face immediste neighbours bent on our annihilation. Also the word “lethal” is a wow thing; just like “credible” but are we spending lots of money getting non “lethal” weapons?
Also from this site:
https://www.malaysiandefence.com/bomba-takes-delivery-of-aw189s/
BOMBA cost for each AW189 is RM105 million.
28 AW189 would be RM2.94 billion.
So 28 AW189 + 15 years of maintenance based on Boustead EC725 contract would be a total of RM5.586 billion. Still massively cheaper than leasing…
Actually for a total cost of RM16.8 billion, rather than leasing, it is actually cheaper just to buy and throw away 28 AW189 every 3 years !!!!
28 AW189 is just RM2.94 billion. buying it 5 times (using for 3 years at a time, a total of 15 years) would just be RM14.7 billion.
A saving of RM1.1 billion compared to leasing 28 !!!!
While in the end the government would own a total of 140 AW189 !!!!
If RM7 million is the price we paid for each Lipan Bara, it is likely it will also be the benchmark price for the HMAV. It will not be lower than that.