KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 19): The armed forces has cancelled its lease of four Black Hawk helicopters valued at RM187 million, according to Utusan Malaysia.
Malaysian Armed Forces Chief General Tan Sri Mohd Nizam Jaffar was quoted as saying that the armed forces always uphold and comply with the decrees of the King, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, and it has cancelled the lease of the four Black Hawks.
On Saturday, Sultan Ibrahim warned the Ministry of Defence not to repeat past mistakes when buying military equipment, especially used aircraft that could risk the lives of pilots and personnel.
As the Colonel Commandant of Gerup Gerak Khas — a special forces unit under the armed forces — he also urged the defence minister to cancel plans to lease over 30-year-old Black Hawk helicopters, fearing the same mistake could happen again.
Sultan Ibrahim stressed that all military purchases must be done transparently, based on real needs and fair market prices — not on advice from agents or those with personal interest.
In November 2024, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin reportedly said that a cancellation notice for the four Back Hawks had been sent to local air service provider Aerotree Defence and Services Sdn Bhd following delays in delivery.
Aerotree was awarded a contract to lease four Sikorsky UH-60A+ Black Hawk helicopters to the army's air corps in May 2023.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim told the Dewan Rakyat that Malaysia’s planned acquisition of Black Hawk helicopters was made based on the recommendation of the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s (RMAF) technical committee.
Anwar said the government’s policy is that if the justification for the aircraft procurement cannot be defended by the RMAF, the purchase will not be signed, he told the Dewan Rakyat during Prime Minister’s Question Time.
Anwar was responding to Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PN-Pasir Mas), who raised concerns on the nation’s defence readiness amid global and regional geopolitical uncertainties. He also questioned the government's readiness to handle recent security issues, including the arrest of two Chinese nationals for flying drones over the Defence Ministry, and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's investigation into armed forces personnel accused of leaking classified information — allegedly uncovered with help from the King's son, Johor Regent Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.
“We are aware that the Ministry of Defence has been mired in crises and scandals for decades — from helicopter procurements to the LCS (littoral combat ship) issue and aircraft deals," Anwar said. Despite billions of ringgits spent, he said, local firms still lack the capacity to fully support the nation’s defence requirements.
"Since 2022, I have decided that there must be a more transparent process with open tenders, and in certain cases, we proceed directly with government-to-government arrangement reducing the pressure from excessive commissions imposed by numerous agent companies,” Anwar added.
On ongoing procurement, Anwar said Malaysia is expecting a delivery of unmanned aerial system drones from Türkiye by December 2025, two sets of naval strike missile launchers from Norway by October 2025, Fighter Lead-In Trainer and Light Combat Aircraft from Korea with the first units due in October 2026, and maritime patrol aircraft from Italy, with the project review scheduled for June 2025 and delivery in June 2026.
He also confirmed that the LCS programme is now 86% complete and on track for delivery in 2025, stressing that the government is “closely monitoring the project to avoid delays”. At the same time, Anwar reiterated the urgency of replacing ageing naval vessels, some of which are over 30 years old, while also strengthening the capabilities of Malaysia’s defence industry.