POLAND - On
2 December 2011, the Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam (MINDEF) signed a
contract with Sikorsky International Operations, Inc. for the delivery of twelve
(12) S-70i™ BLACK HAWK helicopters with spare parts, ground support equipment
and training package. To date, the project has achieved several major
milestones which include the completion of several design reviews and the
completion of several baseline aircraft built in PZL Mielec, Poland. PZL
Mielec, a Sikorsky company, which is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp,
produces the S-70i™ baseline BLACK HAWK helicopter which is the latest
international variant of the UH-60M BLACK HAWK helicopter employed by the US
Army.
A team from
MINDEF recently conducted a site visit to the PZL Mielec facility in Poland to
witness the factory acceptance test for Brunei’s third baseline S-70i™ BLACK
HAWK helicopter. The first two baseline aircraft recently completed its factory
acceptance tests in Poland in April 2012. The first aircraft is scheduled to be
inducted to Sikorsky Military Completions Center (SMCC) in the United States on
October 2012 for the start of customization work to produce the uniquely
configured aircraft that meets the Royal Brunei Armed Forces requirements. The
delivery of the twelve (12) S-70i™ BLACK HAWK helicopters will replace the
current fleet of Bell 212 helicopters and enhance the Royal Brunei Air Force’s
rotary wing capabilities in air mobility, Search and Rescue (SAR) and enhance
surveillance of Brunei’s waters and borders. The delivery of these advanced new
aircrafts will also allow the Royal Brunei Armed Forces to further strengthen
its troop deployment capabilities in military and humanitarian and disaster
relief operations in the region.
The first
batch of the uniquely configured aircraft is expected to be delivered to Brunei
in early 2014.
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