SHAH ALAM: Maritime Operations Helicopter Tender. By the time you read this, representatives of companies interested in bidding for the RMN maritime operations helicopter tender would be reporting to their bosses of the technical requirements.
Yes the search for the RMN utility helos has restarted with a field visit (Sept. 11) at the Kota Kinabalu naval base. Only companies which had send their representatives for the field visit would be eligible to bid for the tender, reissued on Sept. 6 and closing on Oct. 16.
Leonardo AW149. A possible candidate for the tender. CC.
The original tender was cancelled shortly after it was published.
The tender for the RMN maritime utility helicopters (MUH) has been canceled. The tender which was supposed to close on Aug. 19 (wrongly listed as July 15 on the advertisement) was canceled according to the Defence Ministry e-tender page. It did not state the reason for the cancellation
For the newly reissued tender only companies with the MOF field code for helicopters and suppliers of parts and components will be eligible to bid after going for the field visit.
I believe this means only helicopter companies or their local partner will be able to bid for the tender. I am guessing that the government will not want a repeat of the MD530G debacle. That said stranger things has happened in the past.
For the cancelled tender, companies with suppliers field code was also eligible to bid as it was added to the bid documents apart from the two field codes.
If you recalled I previously wrote that
RMN chief Adm. Reza Sany said they were looking for three utility helicopters, to be based at ESSCOM AOR for troop transport and utility roles. He said the budget allocated for the program was RM220 million.
As it is I still believed that the helicopters I wrote in an earlier post would still be competing for the tender. Lets hope this time around RMN will finally get the helicopters they wanted, some 24 months from now.
* Fixed the title to MUH
— Malaysian Defence
View Comments (69)
My take; utility and general hauling choppers should be standardised to one model for all the service branches as much possible, much like US Army, Navy, Customs & Border, some Coastguard teams are using Blackhawk variants as their utility chopper. I hope with the direct tender by the vendors this can be achievable. Our chopper fleet is too small to be economical in handling the various models currently.
What can I say but setuju! Sdr Joe is right. We have too many different types of assets doing similar roles. Am waiting for some actual word from Tun M and/or Mat Sabu (as always, he mentions he's seriously studying the matter in hand) on whether Malaysia is going Russian or politely downplaying Putin's off of a mixed bag of goodies led by their MiG35. It sounds serious so I'll try and damp down my anticipation of any new asset buys. The worst news so far (to me this year) was the cancellation of the M109 Paladins. Here's to any good news 🍻☕🍵🥂 for our Armed Services!
The industry kinda already pushes government to acquire more less the same kinda helicopter. Bomba,MMEA and police is moving towards leonardo, whether it is the AW139, AW149 (which is enlarged AW139) or AW189(single engined version of AW149). There is already regional MRO hub in malaysia so no doubt this will be the main consideration for whatever government agencies looking for helicopter.
So other than prolly Mi-171Sh/Mi-172 for bomba and/or the army, we'll see more leonardo helicopter being procured in the future
Reply
The AW189 is a twin engine helicopter, the civilian version of the AW149
Off topic.
Thailand has ordered 1x Type 071e LPD ship from china costing 6.5 billion baht (janes is wrong by reporting just 4 billion baht). So it costs about US213 million for a relatively large 20,000 tonne LPD ship. The LPD will be completed in 3 years time.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aizQXReKcN8/XXivh6TTFdI/AAAAAAACH0g/bD0EHK8VLGUjpdGhdUfx1N3yyR0JZy0IACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/1-1Z911110213.jpg
Still on the Type 071e LPD. As you can see from the picture above, one of the task for the LPD is to be a support ship / submarine tender for RTN's new S26T submarines.
Off topic again.
A model of the arrowhead 140 at DSEI 2019. Rumors that the type 31e contract to be announced at this exhibition.
http://www.savetheroyalnavy.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Arrowhead-140-Type-31-1014x487.jpg
The swap/trade in for the Migs can work. Let’s trade in the Mig 29 and get Putin’s 35, for example. It will be back to the old days. In 15 years when the Sukhoi and Hornets retire, get the first batch of Tai and when Mig 35 retire in 30 years, the second batch, The timeline is possible.
@Tom Tom
There isn't any necessity for Mig35. The LCA/LIFT which yet to be selected, should have covered the Mig29 role as airborne patrol and interceptor. Better to trade the Migs in for more MKMs, but that's another story.
Off topic.
The BMT new ELLIDA design shown at DSEI 2019 seems perfect for RMN MRSS program. A ship designed as a hybrid of amphibious-tanker auxiliary ship. Though the first design is a 195m ship, maybe we can go for a smaller variant.
And like the brits & norwegian, we can let korean dsme built the hull for us. Surely that will cut some costs i believe.
Just my 2 cent.
@ nihd
I would prefer something similar to this design (if money is no object).
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ECqLIb2K1to/V5B_LWWXvyI/AAAAAAABTgw/IelOCD6qV-I0N8BZSQt8qCCp5_vWaNvhwCLcB/s1600/MMC_Remontowa_stealth_logistic_support_vessel_Poland_1.jpg