Blackhawks x 6

[Guinness]

According to my contact in the US, no UH-60 are ordered for the IAC of factory!!!

Ofcourse it's possible that the IAC will buy some 2nd handed ones but no new airframes on the production line are ordered for the IAC.

Guinness

[Imshi-Yallah]

The suggestion is that the tender might allow for such aircraft Guinness, even in a best case scenario we wouldn't be buying them for at least a year with another probable year to wait before delivery.
The more immediate possibility doing the rounds is the lease of a small number of reconditioned H-60s from another air arm.

[clan]

Cheap interim replacements, click on the pictures on the left.
http://hotlist.dakotaairparts.com/classif....did=233

[Guinness]

Will this be ex USAREUR as I know they are retreating some of the units back to the US?

Guinness

[sealion]

Two words..

Lease
Singapore


But you didnt hear it from me if anyone asks...

[Fouga]

Whats up there sealion. PM me if you aint talking in the open!

[Imshi-Yallah]

Singapore doesnt actually have any blackhawks going by any ORBATs I've found on the net, certainly not in the AF.
They do manufacture components for it but its not quite teh same thing

[clan]

According to Sikorsky, they have shipped Blackhawks to Malaysia. Whether it is the AF or not is another question.

[Imshi-Yallah]

Malaysia has them but Singapore doesnt but everytime I hear this story people say Singapore

[clan]

S70A-34 Malaysian Airforce, Elephant Tusk Squad, is the Blackhawks.

[sealion]

Quote (Imshi-Yallah @ 16 April 2004,08:49)

Malaysia has them but Singapore doesnt but everytime I hear this story people say Singapore

Remember the Pandur? Or even the Puma...
There was even a Mowag eagle in the Curragh for a while..the lads done a few escorts in it before returning it to the makers...

[Imshi-Yallah]

The point is that the rumour says singapore, not malaysia.
I know we had the Eagle and the Pandur in the Curragh, but they still went home without seeing operational service and are therefore irrelevant.
Its not about what gives good photo ops or spotter jollies, its about what actually serves a purpose.

[FiannaFail]

The question that needs to be answered is whether we want to replace the existing ageing heli fleet with 6 Blackhawks or similar type? Clearly our role has changed in this area since 1963 and other services are now in place to fill the role we have provided up to now.  There is a general need to move over to a completely military role for our heli fleet in light of changing needs in a changing Europe. We can start with 6 Blackhawks and add on thereafter.
FiannaFail

[Turkey]

Ya know , it is amazing the way that ff can occasionally come up with something almost reasonable unlike the party of the same name.
But, I think that is wrong, if only 6 Blackhawks are bought, then I feel that it is unlikely that the A111's will be retired, they will soilder [groan]on until one falls out of the sky, which will prompt crustie calls for the abandonment of the IAC on health& safety grounds.
I think the DF should be calling for a bigger number of new Helicopters, and planning to take back SAR as, it appears, the IAC can provide this much cheaper then the private sector.

[pilatus]

blackhawks work out at bout $15.7million apiece thats with GAU-19 0.50calibre mini-guns,GAU-17 7.62mm mini-guns m265 2.75inch rocket pods.this sounds lik a quite worthy machine.take away the weapons to reduce cost by about $3mil apiece.but they could really support the army with this fit.you would have a gunship and transport in one.make the most of what you have.does anybody know the amount of funding avaible for any new choppers?and also where are the papers getting the story about the blackhawks from? '>  '>