Tag Archives: defense

NEWS

Ongoing Ukraine war among the reasons in delay of Blackhawk deliveries

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The ongoing war in Ukraine has become one of the reasons for the delay in the acquisition of UH-60A Blackhawk helicopters, according to Deputy Defense Minister Adly Zahari.

He stated that this matter was communicated by Aerotree Defence and Services Sdn Bhd, the company responsible for the helicopter leasing services acquisition contract.

“The approval process by the United States regulatory authorities has also been tightened for the modernization of technical specifications and avionics system integration on the UH-60A Blackhawk aircraft,” he said.

The work program timeline and the expected delivery of the aircraft to Malaysia have been reviewed and updated by the Slovak Training Academy and all involved parties based on the current supply chain conditions and the expected approval timeline by the US regulatory authorities.”

He was responding to a question from Datuk Seri Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz (PN-Tanah Merah) regarding the reasons for Aerotree Defence and Services’ failure to supply UH-60A helicopters to the Malaysian Army within the stipulated time and the ministry’s subsequent actions during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday.

Adly stated that the company was supposed to deliver two helicopters on October 30, 2023, and another two on December 30, 2023. He emphasized that the Ministry of Defense viewed this delay seriously as it had an impact on the operation of the Army Air Forces helicopter units as outlined in the contract.

“Furthermore, if there is any delay in the delivery of these helicopters, the government, through this contract, will impose fines for the delays caused by the company. However, if the company still fails to make the deliveries according to the set dates, the ministry can also cancel this acquisition and re-tender as required by the contract,” he added.

NEWS

Turkish first fifth-gen fighter successfully completed maiden flight

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The first indigenous fighter aircraft built by Turkey, named KAAN, successfully completed its maiden flight at the Akinci airbase near Ankara.

Temel Kotil, CEO of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), announced on Twitter that the maiden flight lasted for 13 minutes. The aircraft reached a speed of 230 knots and an altitude of 8,000 feet.

Development of the fighter aircraft began in December 2010, with the concept design contract signed between TAI and the government in August 2011. The development contract followed in August 2016.

The program aims to produce a fifth-generation fighter aircraft that meets the requirements of the Turkish Air Force after 2030, replacing the country’s fleet of F-16s. Turkey aims to be among the countries with a complete fighter aircraft production chain, from technology and infrastructure to human resources and production capabilities.

With a wingspan of 46 feet and a length of 69 feet, KAAN is equipped with two engines. The initial prototype is powered by two General Electric F110-GE-129 turbofan engines. However, the final version will utilize engines developed by Turkey’s own company, TRMotor.

TAI will produce five more prototype units, and the Turkish government has purchased 10 sets of F110 engines.

This fifth-generation Turkish fighter aircraft will combine several features, serving as a multi-role fighter with air superiority capabilities, including ground attack, diverse sensor systems, Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, drone network control, and hypersonic guided munitions.