Army to take action if contractor fails to deliver Black Hawk helicopters

A file picture of a Black Hawk helicopter used by the Wisconsin National Guard. – Wikipedia

SIK: The Army will take follow-up action if its contractor fails to deliver the first Black Hawk helicopter by the end of April.

Army Chief Gen Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan said that they had yet to receive any news about the delivery even though the contractor had promised to make the first delivery this month.

"We should have received our first aircraft in November last year. Now it's already over five months, there's still no news.

"If at the end of April there's still no news, we will take follow up action through the Defence Ministry as the contract manager," he said during a media conference at a Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration event with operations officers and staff at Gubir Camp here on Tuesday (April 16).

He added that they hoped that the contractor could deliver one of four Sikorsky UH-60A or Black Hawk helicopters for the use Army's Air Wing this month.

"We really need the medium-lift capability to conduct operations here and in the interior. We have planned to base several here (in the peninsula) and several in Sabah and Sarawak to provide assistance for operations," Muhammad Hafizuddeain said, adding that the helicopters would be used by the 10th Para Brigade for jump training.

"So far, the Army depends too much on the Air Force for operation transport and logistics," he said. – Bernama