KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 (Bernama) -- The RM16 billion lease contract for 28 helicopters over 15 years includes a comprehensive package covering various essential services, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said.
He said the package encompasses maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, spare parts storage and training programmes for about 1,300 pilots and flight crew.
“It also involves skill transfer and continuous training for engineers and technicians from user agencies, as well as insurance coverage for assets, all crew members, passengers and third parties, along with financing or loan costs,” he said when winding up the debate on the Royal Address for the Defence Ministry in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Addressing concerns that an outright purchase might be cheaper, Mohamed Khaled said the leasing package eliminates incidental costs that the government would otherwise have to manage.
He said the lease contract approach was chosen to address the low availability of strategic national assets due to financial constraints, which have left the country’s asset readiness at a suboptimal level.
--BERNAMA
