Final Warning Issued to Local Contractor Supplying Four Black Hawk Helicopters to the Malaysian Army

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – The Malaysia Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) has issued a final warning to the local contractor responsible for delivering four leased UH-60A Black Hawk helicopters to the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM).

The contractor has until October to deliver the helicopters, or they will face consequences.

If the company fails to deliver the helicopters to the Army by the October deadline, the contract will be terminated, stated Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, as quoted by the national news agency, Bernama, today.

“We are giving them until October for delivery. If there is no delivery, the contract will be canceled,” he told reporters in Kota Tinggi today.

The Ministry of Defence has not yet made any further plans should the contract for the lease of the four helicopters be terminated.

“Alternative plans will be made after the cancellation,” he added.

 

The Ministry of Defence signed the lease contract for the four Black Hawk helicopters with the local company Aerotree Defence & Services Sdn Bhd during the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2023 (LIMA ’23) last May.

The contract is valued at RM187 million and covers a five-year lease period.

The helicopters will serve as platforms for the Army Aviation Nucleus Team (PUTD) for training and operational flight missions.

The Malaysian Army has sent pilots to Turkey for Black Hawk helicopter simulator training.

On July 16, Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari reported that Aerotree Defence and Services cited the prolonged war in Ukraine as one of the reasons for the delay in the helicopter lease procurement.

Earlier last month, the Defence Minister mentioned that the ministry had received feedback from the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) regarding the proposed termination of the Black Hawk helicopter lease contract for the Army.

 

The UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter has the capability to carry 11 to 20 fully armed soldiers, along with a pilot, co-pilot, and one crew member.

The ‘A’ model of the Black Hawk serves multiple roles, including utility, air assault, medevac, command and control, and surveillance.

The UH-60A Black Hawk is powered by two General Electric T700-GE-701 turboshaft engines and has a fuel capacity of 450 gallons, enabling it to fly up to 1,200 nautical miles.

The helicopter can also be equipped with an External Stores Support System (ESSS), which functions like “wings.”

With the ESSS, the UH-60A Black Hawk can carry up to 16 Hellfire missiles internally, allowing the ESSS to be reloaded mid-mission.

 In addition to missiles mounted on the ESSS, the helicopter can also be outfitted with machine guns. — DSA