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2nd November 2006 | 05:06

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cougar77

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Helicopters for Tender - anyone?

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Oct 30, 2006

10 French-made RSAF choppers up for sale by tender
Their training role taken over by new light chopper, Colibri
By David Boey, DEFENCE CORRESPONDENT

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TEN Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) helicopters are looking for new owners. To be sold as one lot, the 10 French-made Eurocopter AS.550 Fennec helicopters once flew over Singapore skies as trainers for pilots or as deadly missile-armed light attack choppers.
The helicopters will be stripped of their weapon systems for the sale.
A tender for their sale was issued on Oct 19 by the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA).
The tender is noteworthy because this is one of the rare occasions the DSTA has put choppers on sale - although it auctions other military equipment regularly.
The RSAF tends to fly its helicopters for decades before retiring them.
Stripped of military components, the Fennecs could be flown by air charter companies as transport choppers. Each carries two pilots and four passengers.
The DSTA said the choppers are sold on an 'as-is-where-is basis', which means the buyer will receive them in the condition they are in.
Buyers will be responsible for checking if they can still fly.
Some 7,000 spare parts and tools are included.
There is no minimum price, but the DSTA said bidders have to put up a $500 deposit when they submit their offer.
The Fennecs, named after a small North African fox, are about 16 years old. They were acquired in the early 1990s and flew with two RSAF squadrons at Sembawang Airbase.
Three are AS.550A2 light observation helicopters used for pilot training. This model of the Fennec could be armed with a 20mm cannon and seven 70mm rockets.
The remaining seven are AS.550C2 light attack helicopters. These were armed with four United States-made TOW2A Helitow anti-tank missiles, which can destroy armoured vehicles more than 3km away.
In their time, the AS.550C2 Fennecs were the RSAF's most potent choppers.
The missile-armed Fennecs have been replaced by Boeing AH-64D Apaches. Twenty Apaches were bought to support army operations.
The Straits Times understands the Fennecs are being sold because their training role has been taken over by a new light helicopter, the Eurocopter EC120B Colibri (hummingbird in French).
Singapore Technologies Aerospace will own and operate the Colibri and lease their flying hours to the RSAF.
Meanwhile, the Fennecs are kept in a hangar at Seletar West Camp. The DSTA said prospective bidders are welcome to inspect them, but must submit their names two weeks in advance for security clearance.
The French government has the final say on who gets to own them, since they are French-made.
The Fennec tender closes on Dec 21 at 4pm.
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