SHAH ALAM: RMAF is finally adding weapons capability to its fleet of Airbus EC 725AP (H225M) helicopters. The Defence Ministry on January 13 2022 issued a bid for tender for the purchase of 7.62mm machine guns for the EC 725 helicopters based at the Kuantan (No 10 Skuadron) and Labuan (No 5 Skuadron) airbases.
The tender notice:
PEROLEHAN PERSENJATAAN EC 725 DI PANGKALAN UDARA
KUANTAN DAN PANGKALAN UDARA LABUAN
The public portion of the requirements stated that five units are being sought though I admit I am not sure whether this means one gun and mounting system or two guns per mounting system though it most likely meant the former – one gun per mounting system.
It is interesting to note that the ministry saw fit to seek bids for the purchase as Airbus has only certified the FN 7.62mm MAG with the light pintle system for use on the EC725/H225M or the FN M3M like those used on the Super Lynx, AW139 and NH90 helicopters. Buying direct from the FN Herstal would probably allow us to buy an extra gun with its mounting system.
From FN Herstal:
The FN® Light Pintle System is ideal for light aircraft and provides effective suppressive fire against light ground targets. It features a 7.62mm FN MAG® machine gun and can be window, door, ramp or externally mounted. When installed on the FN® LDP Turning, the FN® Light Pintle System, can be quickly retracted when not in use.
It must be noted that previously, Defence Minister DS Hishammudin Hussein had sought to arm the EC725s with guns following the Lahad Datu incursion (see above). They were supposed to be armed with the 7.62mm miniguns but in the end it was never done as the EC725s were never certified for the type.
Nuri helicopters that were based in Labuan or Kuching were instead armed with 12.7mm machine guns. The armed Nuri were retired in 2019 when RMAF decided to end the service of the whole fleet.
— Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (23)
I prefer FN M3M.
No idea
Yes but then the number of people carried on board is reduced. And usually helicopters armed with the M3M is used as a gunship unlike the twin MAG carrying helicopters
too slow comparing with TNI..
They already equipped their CSAR H225M with FN MAG right n left side plus rocket pod 70mm
Not really sure then what is going on, its such a weird amount to buy, 5 gun sets for 12 choppers. They could at least get 6 sets to arm half the fleet or something. Perhaps it got hit with a budget cap? Then it would be a long wait for them to get Self-Protection Systems.
Perhaps they are getting the SPS so the budget for the guns is reduced. Personally, I think they should get two sets of guns, two for each squadron, really. Anyhow, with six aircraft in each squadron, only one helicopter could realistically be used for such armed mission.
The NATO 7.62 x 51mm still a formidable round, mind you. More powerful than the AK47’s 7.62x39mm. I wonder why they can’t just jtransfer the Nuri’s 50 calibre directly. It’s just a machine gun and should not affected the aerodynamic of the 725.
Well, they to need to put the M3M mounting on it. It will become a gunship only as it will be difficult to carry people for fast rope and even hoisting. That's why Airbus made sure that there are two-gun emplacements in front of the cabin just behind the pilot's cabin so the helicopter can protect itself in a CSAR situation. This will allow the rear cabin to carry the SOF troops to do the extraction, four-to-six-man team together with two quartermasters to control the extraction and exfil process, either using fast rope or hoist.
We paid USD 650 million, and we did not even get all the items that should constitute a CSAR EC725?
Just look at Thai EC725, from day 1 was fitted with
1. additional pilot door armor
2. Missile warning sensors
3. FN MAG mountings on both sides
4. Chaff/flare launchers on the tail
Day 1 for the second and third batches. The first batch was same like ours but likely been upgraded. As for RMAF ones, the SPS and fuel probes were fitted for but not equipped with. That's what you got when you buy through a local marketing agent. And this is repeated in the tender for the guns...
Off topic, but I have asked this maybe in around about way before:
-Is the Army requesting for more MRLS especially the Astros 2 MK 6?
-Are the current Astros we have capable of firing GPS guided missiles, or can they be upgraded?
- or there is no need for GPS because the Astros uses cluster munitions so pinpoint accuracy is not that big an issues.
Any insights anyone?
Wong - "We paid USD 650 million, and we did not even get all the items that should constitute a CSAR EC725?"
Yes but we did not buy them primarily for the CSAR role... We bought them as general utility platforms to augment and eventually replace the Nuri fleet.
The platforms which were intended to be CSAR platforms were the batch of CSAR configured NH nineties we were seriously considering about a year before the Genting crash which changed things. The idea was that the RMAF would hand over the utility role the army and focus on CSAR/SAR and SF insertion.
The obstacle in addition to funding was that the army wasnt ready and took longer than expected to operate its Nuris because of manpower and infrastructure issues; a situation which still exists and is an obstacle to any induction of new assets in numbers. Easy to discuss the army getting surplus Cougars or Blackhawks [like previous suggestions that Gerak Khas can be easily expanded] and saying airframes are inexpensive and readily available but trained manpower and available infrastructure is a major issue.
Tom Tom,
- The army has a requirement for another regiment's worth of MLRSs; just like it has a requirement for another regiment of MBTS but it's something which has not yet been approved for funding.
- No we don not have any GPS guided rounds. As it stands no ASTROS user has GPS guided rounds; at last not in wide service. It's something which AVIBRAS has just completed development; belatedly.
– Rounds with cluster munitions are intended to hit targets which are soft and spread out. GPS guided rounds are precision weapons intended to hit specific targets.
- Bear in mind that it's not just the hardware but also the ability to detect, fix and hit targets - that's what makes HIMARS so effective in the Ukraine; not HIMARS by itself