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| Australian BlackHawk (File Photo) |
By Pg Md Sazali Pg Yakob
BOLKIAH GARRISON, Friday 2 December 2011 - The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) has signed a sales and purchase contract for the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) Support Helicopter Project with Sikorsky International Operations, Inc. The said contract is for the procurement of twelve S-70i BLACK HAWK helicopters that are expected to be delivered to the RBAF between 2013 and 2015. The contract also provides MINDEF the option to purchase additional S-70i BLACK HAWK helicopters in the years to come. The delivery of these advanced new aircraft will allow the RBAF to further strengthen its troop deployment capabilities in military and humanitarian operations to fulfill its national and international obligations. MINDEF has also signed a Blanket Order Agreement (BOA) with Helicopter Support, Inc., a subsidiary of Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, for the supply of additional spares and services to support the fleet of helicopters. The agreement will provide the RBAF with a high level of streamlined support and services to enhance the availability of the fleet of aircraft.
Signing on behalf of the MINDEF was Hjh Suriyah binti Hj Umar, the Permanent Secretary (Administration & Finance) while Sikorsky International Operations, Inc. was represented by Mr. Robert Kokorda, Vice President of World Wide Sales, Marketing and Enterprise Communications. The formal signing ceremony was attended by Dato Paduka Haji Mustappa bin Haji Sirat, the Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin, the Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces and senior executives from MINDEF and Sikorsky Operations, Inc. The event was held at Bolkiah Garrison Officers’ Mess.
The RBAF Support Helicopter Project was initiated to replace the current fleet of Bell 212 and BO105 helicopters and to enhance the Royal Brunei Air Force’s rotary wing capacity to meet requirements identified in the Defence White Paper Update 2007. The Project seeks innovative helicopter replacement solutions suitable to meet the RBAF’s needs from reputable helicopter vendors via an Invitation to Tender released in February 2011. In July 2011, MINDEF down-selected Sikorsky International Operations, Inc. and Eurocopter SAS for contract negotiation following a thorough assessment of the vendors’ proposals. MINDEF announced the selection of Sikorsky International Operations on the 15th of November this year for the procurement of the said capability.
The S-70i BLACK HAWK is a 10 tonne, twin-engine multi-role helicopter and is the latest international version of the UH-60M now employed in the US Army. The Sikorsky BLACK HAWK is a proven combat aircraft, has so far logged more than 9 million flight hours and is in use in 25 nations around the world. The S-70i BLACK HAWK helicopter, with its high performance, reliability and survivability characteristics, is designed specifically to meet the most demanding military missions. Its state-of-the-art glass cockpit is ergonomically designed to enhance the pilot’s situational awareness that is critical to mission success. The fleet of twelve S-70i BLACK HAWK helicopters is uniquely configured with role flexibility in mind and it will offer the RBAF the capability to conduct various mission profiles such as Tactical Air Lift, Special Operations, Search and Rescue, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief and Regional Deployment.