M’sia buys US copters in biggest arms deal since 1993

From Today (Feb 4): M’sia buys US copters in biggest arms deal since 1993

KUALA LUMPUR — The Malaysian government has ordered six advanced scout attack helicopters from an American aircraft maker, in what is believed to be the biggest arms contract between Washington and Kuala Lumpur in more than 20 years.

In a press release earlier this week, MD Helicopters (headquartered in Mesa, Arizona) said it is “pleased to announce that it has succeeded in its bid to supply six MD 530G scout attack helicopters to Malaysia’s Ministry of Defence”.

The company said that it will deliver the aircraft to Malaysian Army Aviation beginning the fourth quarter of this year, with the full fleet to be delivered by the end of the first quarter of 2017.

 

“Our legacy is firmly rooted in service of the warfighter; delivering fast, agile, highly-capable scout attack helicopters for the protection of the United States and our partner nations,” said Ms Lynn Tilton, said the firm’s chief executive officer in the press release.

“Perfectly suited for Malaysia’s operational environment, we are honoured that the MD 530G — our next-generation light scout attack helicopter — was selected by the Malaysian Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence Force to be the newest addition to the Malaysian Armed Forces.”

The Diplomat, a foreign policy publication, reported that the contract for the six helicopters is the biggest US-Malaysia arms deal since Kuala Lumpur placed an order for eight F/A-18DS fighter aircraft in June 1993.

Last year, the US State Department reportedly approved a US$21 million (S$30 million) missile sale to Malaysia.

The MD 530G gunship was first revealed to the Malaysian public at the March 2015 Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition. According to IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly, the helicopter is powered by a Rolls-Royce 250-C30 turbine engine, has a top cruising speed of 240kmh, and can carry a load of 862kg over a range of 519km.

MD Helicopters said the Malaysian Army’s fleet of MD 530G helicopters will include a custom weapons package, advanced communications capabilities, and state-of-the-art electro-optical/infrared tech to detect, identify, and engage various threats.

The new helicopters will be deployed to eastern Sabah, where they will perform attack, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and security missions.

http://www.todayonline.com/world/msia-buys-us-copters-biggest-arms-deal-1993