TWELVE air force Nuri helicopters have been grounded, said General Ackbal Abdul Samad.

Without giving details, the air force chief said Nuri services have been discontinued until further notice.

He said the 50-year-old aircraft are at the “tail end” of their service, and too costly to maintain.

“Even if the air force has the money to buy Nuri maintenance equipment, it can take between nine and 18 months to obtain these spare parts.

“Besides, the force has plans to procure new aircraft to replace the Nuri, but we are still at the evaluation stage,” he told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

He said several types of aircraft have been identified as possible replacements for the Nuri fleet.

Asked about the air force’s allocation, Ackbal said it is at a “comfortable” level.

“The air force prioritises prudent spending… we will minimise celebratory events that are deemed unnecessary.”

Several crashes and emergency landings involving the Nuri helicopters have taken place since 1991, including in Sintok, Kedah (2010), Tawau, Sabah (2016) and Butterworth, Penang (2016).

The latest incident saw a Nuri making an emergency landing at Gubir Camp in Alor Star last August.

Ackbal also announced the appointment of Lt Gen Mohd Asghar Khan Goriman Khan as his deputy, effective today. – Bernama, January 7, 2020.