Growing Malaysian Government dissatisfaction with UK industry-supplied weapons is undermining efforts by GKN Westland to win a deal for Super Lynx naval helicopters.
UK officials are becoming increasingly concerned that Malaysia might once again resort to a "buy-British-last" policy, unless problems with existing programmes are settled. Kuala Lumpur has twice adopted such a policy, most recently in 1994, after UK press allegations of high-level political corruption in Malaysia.
"There is a general level of dissatisfaction," confirms a UK defence-industry source. Malaysia is understood to be upset with the late delivery of two new GEC-Marine-built frigates. This follows earlier reliability and spares problems with Malaysia's 28 new British Aerospace Hawk 100/200 trainer/light-strike aircraft and unsatisfactory repair turnaround times by Shorts Missiles Systems of the ground equipment used with the companies Starburst anti-aircraft missile.
Delivery of the first Lekiu-class frigate to Malaysia is almost a year behind schedule, because of software problems with the ship's GEC-Marconi Nautis control system and tracker radars for its BAe VL Seawolf missile. The two frigates will not be delivered before March 1998, prompting Malaysian demands for compensation.
Some officials regard Malaysian talk of again blacklisting UK suppliers as posturing, intended to back up its claim for compensation, which one source puts as high as £18 million ($29 million). In lieu of a financial pay-out, it is suggested that the Malaysian navy could receive free of charge one or two helicopters or have the hangar on the two warships enlarged.
The Lekiu class was originally designed to accommodate a single Lynx, but the competition to supply six new naval helicopters has since been opened up to larger machines. Also competing are Kaman, with the SH-2G Super Seasprite, Sikorsky with its S-70B Seahawk and Eurocopter, offering the AS565 Panther.
A request for tenders is to be issued at the end of this month, following finance-ministry approval. The navy hopes to make a selection by September and conclude a contract before mid-November.
The navy is looking for a helicopter equipped primarily for the anti-submarine-warfare (ASW) role. It must be capable of carrying Whitehead A244 ASW torpedoes and be fitted for (but not with) a dipping sonar. Other requirements include provision for two 15km (8nm)-range air-launched anti-ship missiles (ASMs).
Source: Flight International
