Malaysian MINDEF Issues Contract Termination Notice for Lease of Four UH-60A Black Hawk Helicopters
In May last year, the Ministry of Defence signed a five-year lease agreement for the four helicopters with a local company Aerotree Defence and Services, valued at RM187 million.
(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – The Malaysian Ministry of Defence has issued a contract cancellation notice for the lease of four UH-60A Black Hawk helicopters to the contracted company, according to the country Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
This follows the company’s failure to meet the extended delivery deadline for the helicopters, which was set to expire on October 30.
“The October delivery date has passed, so we’ve sent the cancellation notice,” he said in a press briefing following the departure ceremony for the first group of Malbatt 850-12 personnel to Lebanon at Subang Air Base today.
In May last year, the Malaysian Ministry of Defence signed a five-year lease agreement for the four helicopters with a local company Aerotree Defence and Services, valued at RM187 million.
Under the agreement, the first helicopter was initially scheduled for delivery in November last year, later extended to April this year.
In August, the Malaysian Ministry of Defence received feedback from the Attorney General’s Chambers regarding the proposed termination of the Black Hawk lease contract for the Army.
Subsequently, the lease contract period was extended until October.
The five-year lease of the four helicopters was intended to serve as platforms for the Army’s Air Team Nucleus (PUTD) for training and operational flight tasks.
The Army had sent pilots to Turkiye for Black Hawk simulator training.
On July 16, Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari reported that Aerotree Defence and Services cited the ongoing conflict in Ukraine as a factor in the delays affecting the lease acquisition process.
The UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter can accommodate 11 to 20 fully armed military personnel, along with a pilot, co-pilot, and crew member.
The ‘A’ model of the Black Hawk serves versatile 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, equipped with a 450-gallon fuel tank that enables it to fly up to 1,200 nautical miles.
The helicopter can also be outfitted with an “External Stores Support System” (ESSS), resembling additional “wings.”
With the ESSS, the UH-60A Black Hawk can carry up to 16 Hellfire missiles, allowing for mid-mission missile reloading.
In addition to missiles on the ESSS, the helicopter can also be equipped with machine guns. — DSA
