KUALA LUMPUR: The Government has not made any final decision on the purchase of utility helicopters to replace the ageing Nuri, Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad said.
He said the purchase of helicopters with search and rescue capabilities was still being considered.
“We will look into various aspects including the country’s economic situation so that the acquisition will be within our means,” he told the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday.
He was replying to Mohd Nizar Zakaria (BN-Parit) who wanted to know the measures taken by the Government to ensure that the country’s defence system was up-to-date, and the status of the purchase of helicopters to replace the Nuri.
In September last year, the Defence Ministry agreed to purchase 12 Eurocopter EC 725 helicopters worth RM1.6bil.
However, the defence minister at that time, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who was also the prime minister, decided to defer the purchase following controversy over the choice of the EC 725.
Replying to Dr Tan Seng Giaw (DAP-Kepong), Abdul Latiff said the current 20 Nuri helicopters could continue operating until 2015 as they were regularly maintained.
“The Government is aware that the Nuri helicopters have a limited capacity to mount search and rescue operations especially at night. But they are well-maintained and are airworthy until 2015, so there is really no hurry,” he said.
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