MAF buys Eurocopter's EC725 Cougar helicopter.
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SEREMBAN, Sept 28 - The government's decision to replace its ageing Nuri helicopters with Eurocopter's EC725 Cougar helicopters has been hailed as a most appropriate decision. Marhalim Abas, a local defence analyst and independent editor of the Asian Defence Journal, said Eurocopter already had a strong presence in the commercial market in Malaysia and this would the first time that the company would be selling its military helicopter to the air force.
"Eurocopter had also supplied the Fennec helicopter to the police and navy. The company's helicopters are also being used by the MHS Aviation Bhd," he said.
He expects the EC725 to be equipped with weapons and navigation systems similar to those fitted on the EC725 units owned by the French air force. This include the night navigation system, which is not available in any of the air force's current fleet of helicopters, he said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also Defence Minister, announced yesterday that the EC725 would replace the Sikorsky S61-A4 Sea Kings or better known as Nuri.
It has been reported that the Malaysian government would acquire up to 12 EC725s.
Marhalim said several of the 12 helicopters could be configured and turned into combat search and rescue (CSAR) helicopters.
He was also confident that another tender would be opened as the 12 EC725s would not be sufficient to cater for the air force's needs, which would amount to at least 40 helicopters.
Eurocopter's representative in Malaysia for the EC725, Salleh Majid, said the helicopter had the speed and armour to enter into war zones as a CSAR helicopter.
"The EC725 is special as it has the ability to become a full-fledged CSAR helicopter and has the agility to move in and out of hot zones," he said when met recently.
He also said that the Nuri was only upgraded for search and rescue mission as it did not have the speed and armour required in a CSAR helicopter.
An industry source says that several international companies had bid hard to win the tender but it was clear that the EC725 was the strongest contender due to its ability to keep on flying even when running out of hydraulic oil.
The EC725 is an upgraded model of the AS532 Cougar and made its maiden flight in 2000 for the French's armed forces.
The EC725 had been involved in several high-profile CSAR operations including in the Operation Baliste, a French aeronaval operation off Lebanon in 2006 to transfer out European citizens during the height of Israeli offensive against Hezbollah positions.
The helicopter was also involved in supporting the French armed forces during the US-led war in Afghanistan.
The EC725 has a maximum speed of 324 kilometres per hour and the capacity of carrying 28 troops in addition to the crew.
Analysts predicted that the air force's EC725 would be fitted, among others, with radar warning receiver, 20mm cannons, rocket launchers and machine guns. - BernamaLink for EC725 ( A upgraded version of the AS532 ).
http://www.eurocopter.com/site/FO/scripts/siteFO_contenu.php?lang=EN&noeu_id=100
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These clowns are fitting rockets and cannons onto a troop carrier? What they going to attack? Chicken farms??
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well.. its Bernama. you can NEVER take them too seriously.
In any case, fitting unguided/percision guided rockets is not a bad idea. it goes back to vietnam era , US Air cav tactics. before they had gunships, the troop choppers would have one or two escort choppers and scout choppers.
the transports would land the troops. the scouts would smoke and markout the enemy and the escorts would pump in firepower, while the ground troops attacked the enemy.
its a pretty decent cost effective capability add on IF you dont plan to get gunships. makes sense too. you can provide covering fire during a HOT insertion or HOT withdrawal (although thats debatable and really depends on what doctrine are you using. )
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Then you gotta train those chopper pilots how to SHOOT those damn rockets. Trust me, shooting rockets off a helicopter is not as easy as it sounds. Accurately that is.
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Originally posted by Shotgun:
Then you gotta train those chopper pilots how to SHOOT those damn rockets. Trust me, shooting rockets off a helicopter is not as easy as it sounds. Accurately that is.
i see it as a positive development
1) it shows they might not be looking at gunships
2) given the prowess and effectiveness of unguided rockets :) its better that they have those than hellfires right ?
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This was actually what the RSAF tried to do in the past. We fitted our UH-1s with missiles and machine guns, but how effective was it? Ya it was only good in scaring ants. Its a sitting duck which can be gunned down by mere infantry easily. Use brains, Malaysia! (if u can find them)
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Okay lar, to be fair... Smoke rounds don't need to be too accurate.
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About time, people are dying needlessly on their aging Nuris.
Any new helicopter will be a good first step.
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That one have to agree. Nuris have been crashing since time immemorial. Not the most maintenance friendly heli out there given its age.
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Hi, Ever heard of Battle Hawk?
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/ah-60l.htm
Photos galore
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=139053&page=2
I see this as a positive improvement for the Malaysian Army and Aviation. Though they probably need up to several times more than 12 units.
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Looks like a pimped up Blackhawk.
I guess the Americans took a cue from the Russian Hind. Troop carrier and formidable close air support Heli at the same time. What is really worth the while there was the Helmet Targeting Display for Hellfires and the Chin mounted gun.
The rockets, well, its really pocket artillery. Not very precise but good enough to make people duck. Its fun when you catch a soft convoy off guard and have a pretty good line up for a single pass.
I think SG teamed up with the Ukrainians for a guided 70mm FFAR. Now thats pretty cool for a rocket.
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There is a song that goes like this 'Anything you can do I can do better...' They can buy whatever they want but they can never win the arm race with Singapore
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So did the RMAF acquire the Rooivalks in the end? Heh!
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Originally posted by Short Ninja:
There is a song that goes like this 'Anything you can do I can do better...' They can buy whatever they want but they can never win the arm race with Singapore
Yes, but it will be unwise to be complacent just because we have the edge now. The word 'never' is an absolute term. -
maybe they want something like the US Blackhawk DAP used by 160th.. but of course training is another thing..
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Originally posted by tankee1981:
Yes, but it will be unwise to be complacent just because we have the edge now. The word 'never' is an absolute term.
A kiasu nation is never complacent cuz for every Ringgit the Malaysians spent on Defence Singapore spends a dollar and 50 cents. -
eh.. i thoguht they were going for the Air Wolf look alike one? lol. Dunno whats the name. But guess not....
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they'd look very much like our super pumas ......
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I think they are advanced SuperPumas... hahaha. My opinion anyways.
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Looks like RSAF and RMAF using the same heli. Cougar is a more 'advance' model of the Super Puma family.
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yes they are .... but the silhouette would still be very similar ...
I suppose or igla and mistral crews would have IFF available to them ...
but when shit hits the fan and you see a "super puma" disgorging troops 200 metres to your flank in the twilight, you'd want to take a good look or three and maybe slew the MG around ....
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Originally posted by Fatum:
yes they are .... but the silhouette would still be very similar ...
I suppose or igla and mistral crews would have IFF available to them ...
but when shit hits the fan and you see a "super puma" disgorging troops 200 metres to your flank in the twilight, you'd want to take a good look or three and maybe slew the MG around ....
Don't need to have IFF to figure out whose who... I think they will inform the AD guys if friendly helis are gonna be landing anything nearby.
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Remember the " fog of war ".
In almost all wars, AD crews have the nasty habit of downing ALL aircraft including friendlies, with & wo Intel or IFF. This usually happens after the AD cresw get whacked by enemy aircraft or oherwise.
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Hahaha! Especially when they are lead by ex-Pilot trainees that got axed!
"If I don't fly, nobody else does!"
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Originally posted by Manager433:
Looks like RSAF and RMAF using the same heli. Cougar is a more 'advance' model of the Super Puma family.
All the more reason to get on the Blackhawk platform. That is unless we are thinking about the NH-90?