KUALA LUMPUR: Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin has alluded that there will be no changes to the dates of the delivery of four Black Hawk helicopters next month.
"It is not yet October, let's wait (until then)," he said when asked about updates on the contract to lease four of the helicopters to the army.
Khaled said this at the launch of Pharmaniaga Bhd's biopharmaceutical plant for the production of locally manufactured human insulin, biosimilars and vaccines today.
He previously said the company which was awarded the contract to lease four Black Hawk helicopters to the army must deliver them by October, or the deal will be terminated.
He said October would be the final extension of the deal, as the contractors had failed to meet earlier deadlines.
It was reported that local air service provider Aerotree Defence & Services Sdn Bhd signed a contract in May last year to lease four Sikorsky UH-60A+ Black Hawk helicopters to the army's Air Corps.
Under the RM187 million deal, the first helicopter was supposed to be delivered in November last year, but the deadline was pushed to April this year.
In August, the Attorney-General's Chambers outlined possible options for the army to cancel the Black Hawk lease due to the delivery delays.