LANGKAWI: The Malaysian Army today received two Nuri helicopters from the RMAF marking the start of its Air Wing transition into the troop transport and utility role.
The two Nuri -in the very controversial digital camo- spotted the serial numbers M23-01 and M23-31. According to Army Chief Jen Tan Seri Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Nor, the camouflage will be changed into the service digital one within two phases.
It must be said though while the camo chosen is debatable the paint job itself is superb. I was told that the paint job was the handiwork of a master painter attached with Airod.
Both helicopters and two other examples are being used to train a cadre of PUTD pilots on the Nuri.
The Army will eventually operate 12 Nuris while RMAF 15. The Army Nuris are those aircraft which had been “cocooned” previously as the RMAF sought to consolidate its rotary wing fleet.
The Nuris will be upgraded with digital cockpits although the programme remained on hold pending a decision by the RMAF. Currently only one Nuri had been fitted with the digital cockpit. The aircraft is currently being operated by RMAF, M23-36.
It is understood that the transfer to the Army was brought forward due to urgent operational requirements.
After signing the transfer document, Raja Mohamed Affandi handed a RM20 note to RMAF chief Jen Datuk Seri Roslan Saad. It is traditional to give a small cash token (not signifying the cost) after receiving a weapon. It is said to ensure that the weapon does not turn on the owner (tak makan tuan).
I was informed that officers who received their ceremonial swords from the King also followed the tradition (usually coins).
— Malaysian Defence
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Me says:
March 29, 2015 at 9:29 pm
Johnrambo,
You might be mistaken the radars. SMART-S is a search radar. It does not need to be compatible to the missile as it does not directly interact with it. What controls the missiles is the FCS radar, which the Navy have been either quite obsesses with such a combo or, they just never intend to move to the next level. The TMX we bought has an average useful range about 50km. pairing the ESSM with it is like have a Ferrari with 14″ iron rim.
Thats exactly the point. If thats not they ask for why do they accept it in the first place. As for the Kedah project, AFAIC the Navy gave the wrong sizing is part of reason we have half a dozen of oversize PV.
D.W,
No disrespect to Marhalim. According to my source, that never happened.
RedSot says:
March 29, 2015 at 7:01 pm
Haha dont get fool lah that nuri on display is half way paint job lah…what the painter got to do is to cover the stincils….cover the dark brown and sand color…and paint the rest in green…the end product is complete digi camo with all the covered dark brown n sand color removed…its easier to do digi camo than rimau belang paint job u asked the painter they will tell the same story……
Johnrambo says:
March 29, 2015 at 12:12 pm
Me,
Well the talks about Aster is just an add on info for example if they have herakles. The navy talks about essm as they tried to max out the smart s as it is the only advance missile compatible with the smart s.
Well, if you said that the navy is in charge, how about ngpv fiasco ? Is they really want em to be like that ? The navy, airforce and army always make use of what politician want and never what they want.
D.W says:
March 29, 2015 at 11:42 am
@ Me
From Marhalim’s 2011 article:
“SHAH ALAM: AS I had mentioned in my previous posting, the Damen Schelde entry for the SGPV/LCS tender had been the early favourite for programme. And it appears that the Navy seemed to prefer it to other candidates despite the fact that an almost similar vessel is being build in Indonesia for TNI-AL.”
https://www.malaysiandefence.com/?p=1687
Tomahawk says:
March 29, 2015 at 10:33 am
Thank you all my people for warm wishes after passing of sg lee kuan yew! May Sg and My continue progress.
In realm of defend, may saf continue be a force for stabiliti in region. Continue Mr lee policy of pragmatic defend spending and not to little and not to much.
Me says:
March 28, 2015 at 10:53 pm
Johnrambo,
Never heard of Navy were interested in the Sigmas. The supposed following projects alternate between a frigate class and OPVs or whatever they called it. But they combined those into what became the LCS. Neither of these requirements fit the “larger Sigma”.
You were talking about ESSM then somehow you drag in the Aster. They are not even in the same class. The choice of either one of them will put the initial sizing toward different direction. And BTW, the current search radar + 2 FCS combo happens to be one of the Navy’s own taking which has been carried on since the Jebats.
Anyways, the Navy is subject to take responsibility of the mess they are in. If they think their project is being jeopardized then they should do something to prevent it from becoming a recurrent event. At worst they should voice in public and get help from the people. Staying silence means they assume the responsibility of the crime.
Johnrambo says:
March 28, 2015 at 5:16 pm
Me,
To answer your question, is it the Navy or the politician who really want the gowind ? The navy actually ask for sigma but with bigger displacement. And the radar, it is herakles which can guide the aster 15 or 30. It always what BNS want not what the navy want
Me says:
March 27, 2015 at 11:41 pm
Johnrambo,
If essm is selected, then it wouldn’t be the Gowinds in the first place. And you should be glad that SMART-S is selected. While you can debate about the SAMs, there is really no alternative for the search radar.
MILSPEC says:
March 27, 2015 at 7:48 am
Hope the PUTD to increase the number of it’s helicopter when we had enough funds and they need new helicopters to increase their fleet number.
Reply
They actually did, with the 4 Nuris and eight more to come!
nimitz says:
March 27, 2015 at 12:15 am
Flat green earth colour for Army vehicle, grey for Navy, blue for AirForce is a norm for almost all armed forces. Consider us lucky that Navy & AF did not join the camo paint job and stick to 1-colour paint.
PUTD Nuri was reported to be based in Kuantan, is it sharing ground facility at Kuantan AB?
Reply
Yes they will, some things unique to Nuri will need to be resend to Kuantan AB as most of it had been withdrawn as RMAF operates the Cougars only at the AB now
Johnrambo says:
March 26, 2015 at 3:24 pm
the navy doesnt get what it want. They want essm for sure. Mica is bns choice same too with the radar. Before this the only reason they fit in the smart s and mica because of the ship size, being a corvette with 2700t. Now it is a frigate with 3100t what reason for their choice ? Anyway its like buying a car with our own money. But others choose what they want and we use it.
The camo doctrine on TD equipment is outdated. Camo doesnt make sense when your vehicle is full of mud which is usual in malaysia. Just paint it with flat earth green just like the singapore.
stanman says:
March 26, 2015 at 2:41 pm
We are Malaysians. Not Arabs.
Shed says:
March 26, 2015 at 12:30 pm
I dont see the need 4 the digital camo.. The army vehicles are better of with the old “harimau belang” pattern. Hell they even look hotter with them. The new camo doesnt seem to conceal the vehicle in the jungle or urban enviroment.. Just look at the gempita demo.
cheekucai says:
March 26, 2015 at 11:52 am
“tak makan tuan” eh? I am surprised that even with the existence of KAGAT, such thing is still around.
Anyways, I always wondered what camo is suitable for Army choppers. If we make it green-base colored, then it will contrast pretty good against the sky (for the ground shooters) although the camo will hide the chopper pretty well visually against higher onlookers.
Paint it sky grey, and the reverse situation would likely happen.
Reply
Sssh…dont tell them! It will be the Army digital camo once the upgrade are all completed.
Mike says:
March 22, 2015 at 11:02 am
We have selected both Mica and NSM for LCS. Looks like Navy is getting what they want
Lkick says:
March 21, 2015 at 9:50 am
How about the contract for SSM and SAM for SGPV? Any news?
Reply
As I had reported before, NSM and MICA. Contract signing? I have no idea.
khairil anuar says:
March 21, 2015 at 4:09 am
Boss….thales to supply optronic for su 30mkm???wat the sensor look like?Are the sukhoi will be upgrade?
phtmx says:
March 21, 2015 at 1:14 am
I have been reading ur blog very often..thumb up for the good work..biglast time I used to read malaysian flying herald..what happen to that blog?
Reply
No idea.
Steelshot says:
March 20, 2015 at 11:14 pm
P/s. Thanks Marhalim write-up on Lima. I applaud your efforts.
Steelshot says:
March 20, 2015 at 11:11 pm
Thanks Marhalim.
Understandably it going to cost more but I am sure everyone here would have voted the System to be fitted on a better performance platform instead of the 200A.
What happen to the announcement a while back that our existing 235 would be refit for MPA duties? Any info on this Marhalim?
Reply
The companies are trying hard to sell new airframes that is the biggest issue and we have decided on another solution, of which I am not able to say in an open forum
SmellyBoy says:
March 20, 2015 at 8:26 pm
It’ll be change into the standard green digi camo huh? Din’t see that one coming… plus, when will the Nuris will be equipped with difital cockpits?
Reply
Depending on when RMAF decides which digital cockpit they will standardised on.
Steelshot says:
March 20, 2015 at 7:08 pm
Marhalim,
Thales has delivered the first of two AMASCOS mission systems to the RMAF, Thales said the AMASCOS was to support the conversion of four RMAF’s Beech 200 aircraft to a highly-capable maritime surveillance platform, due to enter service next year.
On the above Marhalim, was the Amascos System fitted on the existing 4 Beechcraft MPA or is it a new aircraft?
Does it mean we gonna have 8 Beechcraft MPA?
Why didnt they fit the system to our 295, would they not be a better choice?
What will happen to the old system?
Reply
No, they added the AMASCOS to the other two Beech 200 so now all four will be used for ISR. On whether or not it will be better for us to fit them on the CN235, yes, these aircraft will have longer range but probably it will cost more to fit it on them.
Mat Bon says:
March 20, 2015 at 6:33 pm
I think this camo is superb during jerebu ;]
Faisal says:
March 20, 2015 at 6:17 pm
Why the need to have it painted twice; once by RMAF (on the digital camo) and then by PUTD (its own digital scheme) ? Mind boggling.
Reply
The new camo came FOC courtesy of Airod, which conducted the depot level maintenance on these helicopters. They just need to add a darker green paint and the aircraft will be Tentera Darat compliant.