Malaysia receives first leased AW139 helicopters

26th January 2022 - 23:51 GMT | by Dzirhan Mahadzir in Kuala Lumpur

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The Weststar Aviation CEO presents an AW139 scale model to RMAF Chief Gen Ackbal Samad in a ceremony on 22 January at RMAF Butterworth. (RMAF)

Malaysia's air force is leasing four AW139 helicopters, and the first two were received last month.

The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) is preparing to operationalise four leased AW139s as a stop-gap replacement for its retired Sikorsky S-61A Nuri fleet.

In a post on its Facebook page on 22 January, the RMAF stated that two helicopters had been delivered by Weststar Aviation to No. 3 Squadron at RMAF Butterworth on 4 December 2021, and that the remaining two aircraft will be delivered in February and April.

The RMAF has not declared the helicopters and the squadron operational yet, as training is ongoing with eight pilots and four air quartermasters at PWN Excellence facilities in Subang.

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Author

Dzirhan Mahadzir

Dzirhan Mahadzir is a freelance defense journalist and analyst based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, who …

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