According to a representative of Kemalak Group subsidiary Kemalak Marine, the company and Marineon manufacturer KAI are focusing their current proposal on the Royal Malaysian Navy’s requirement for a new anti-submarine warfare helicopter to replace its current Super Lynxes.
Kemalak is currently in early consultations with the Royal Malaysian Navy on the specific equipment and capabilities needed for the future anti-submarine warfare helicopter, with the Kemalak Marine representative and another representative from KAI’s helicopter division emphasizing the ability to customize the Marineon to the Navy’s specific requirements.
In addition to the Marineon, Kemalak and KAI are also offering the KUH-1 Surion to the Malaysian Army, with scale models of the Marineon in Royal Malaysian Navy camouflage and Surion in Malaysian Army camouflage present at their booth.
The Kemalak Group is KAI’s partner for the Malaysian market, with the partnership formed during KAI’s offer of FA-50 Block 20 light fighter aircraft for the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s Light Combat Aircraft Program. The group’s other activities with the Malaysian military include supporting crew training activities for the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s Airbus A400M.
According to the revised “15 to 5” transformation plan graphic published at the Royal Malaysian Navy’s booth at DSA 2024, the Navy plans to procure four new anti-submarine warfare helicopters between 2026 and 2030. A graphic at the booth suggests the helicopters may be configurable to serve both the anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare missions, with listed performance requirements having differing endurance requirements for each configuration.
The number to be procured under the revised plan is a direct equivalent to the number of Super Lynxes currently active with the Royal Malaysian Navy. The Super Lynx fleet has been in service since 2004, with Chief of Navy Admiral Rahman Ayob disclosing in 2023 that two of the six Super Lynxes purchased have been placed in long term storage due to a lack of funding to maintain them.
