Malaysia's navy gets boost with 12 new helicopters

Agence France Presse
May 27, 2003

Malaysia’s navy gets boost with 12 new helicopters: report

KUALA LUMPUR, May 27

Malaysia’s navy will soon get 12 new helicopters from Britain and
France
worth a total 850 million ringgit (223.68 million dollars), a report
said
Tuesday.

The navy will take delivery of six Super Lynch from Britain costing 678
million ringgit in August and six French-manufactured Fennec worth 172
million by mid-2004, the New Straits Times said.

Royal Malaysian Navy chief Mohamad Ramly Abu Bakar was quoted as saying
the
new helicopters would boost radar capabilities and the use of the
weapons
system by its aviation wing.

“We are confident that the Super Lynx and Fennec helicopters will
strengthen
our aviation wing’s capabilities,” he said.

“At present, although we have missiles that can travel hundreds of
kilometres, our radar system has its limitations. However, with the new
helicopters, we will be able to use their radar system to optimise the
use
of our weapons system.”

The newspaper said the Super Lynx would have anti-ship weapons
capabilities
and carry six people for maritime operations, while the Fennec
helicopter
would be used for training.

Malaysia has embarked on a major arms procurement spree after reviving
its
military upgrading program, which was derailed by the 1997/98 Asian
financial crisis.

The government last week agreed to buy 18 powerful Sukhoi fighter jets
from
Russia in a deal estimated at 900 million dollars.

Last year it sealed a 1.035 billion euro (972 million dollars) pact to
buy
three French submarines to form its first fleet of subs, ordered
British and
Russian missile systems worth 364 million dollars and planned to buy
more
than 60 tanks from Poland.

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