KUALA LUMPUR: Note the story from Bernama. Just a few sound bites without getting the inside story. How I wished I can go live……

Nuri Replacement To Proceed Despite Reduced Budget – Najib

KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 (Bernama) — The Defence Ministry will continue with the programme to replace the Nuri helicopters although its operational budget had been reduced by RM300 million.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak said although the ministry’s expenditure had been reduced, most of the existing operations would be continued.

“We are now studying our priorities based on the economic situation and the government’s austerity drive. Among the projects that would be continued are the replacement of the Nuri helicopters where we have already called for international tender but the final decision has yet to be made,” he told reporters after launching the book “Ibrahim Pahlawan Melayu” at the Defence Ministry, here Wednesday.

On July 18 last year, the Cabinet had agreed to replace the Nuri helicopters, which had been used by the Malaysian Armed Forces since 1968, with the process of replacement taking between two-and-a-half and three years.

The open international tender for the replacement of the Sikorsky S61-A4 Nuri helicopters was closed on Jan 12.

The replacement aircraft are expected to be used by the Royal Malaysian Air Force beginning 2009 before the demobilisation of the Nuri helicopters in 2012.

Najib, who is also the Defence Minister, said among other programmes that would proceed was the acquisition of the New Generation Patrol Vessels (NGPV) for the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN).

The RMN had placed an order for six units of the NGPVs worth RM5.35 billion from the PSC-Naval Dockyard Sdn Bhd in 1998 and had so far taken delivery of three of the vessels, namely KD Kedah on June 5 2006, KD Pahang on Aug 3 2006 and KD Perak on Nov 12 last year.

Another patrol vessel, KD Terengganu, is expected to be delivered at the end of the year.

– BERNAMA

–MalaysianDefence