AgustaWestland has completed the sale of three AW139 medium twin helicopters to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, marking the entry of the type into the country's government market.
The agency, which is responsible for patrolling Malaysia's waterways, bought three Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphins last year and could order another three of each type in the coming years. AgustaWestland has not revealed the value of its new deal, but it is believed to total around $61 million.
"These helicopters will be used to perform search and rescue, coastal patrol and law enforcement duties around Malaysia's extensive coast line," says AgustaWestland, which adds that the order builds on the helicopter's growing popularity in the country's commercial market.
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The Finmeccanica subsidiary says it has received orders for more than 400 AW139s from more than 100 customers in 40 countries. In Asia, the Japanese and South Korean coastguards have also ordered the type.
Malaysia is emerging as an important market for AgustaWestland, which has been expanding its presence in the country and set up a regional maintenance and support centre at Kuala Lumpur's Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah airport earlier this year. It is closely competing with Eurocopter, which also has a significant presence in the region, for both civil and military contracts.
The MMEA was established to remove the overlapping functions between various government agencies and focuses much of its attention on the Straits of Malacca, a vital global shipping artery, to crack down on piracy and smuggling.
In June, the agency ordered two Bombardier 415 multipurpose amphibious aircraft, becoming the first country in Asia to acquire the specially configured type. The aircraft will be equipped with a surveillance suite that includes two side-looking airborne radars, a forward-looking infrared sensor and other airborne maritime surveillance systems. It has also been keen to acquire other fixed-wing and amphibious aircraft, and has evaluated proposals for types including the ATR 42, Beechcraft King Air 350 and Fokker 50.
Source: Flight International
