SIKORSKY CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF SERVICE BY THE NURI S-61 WITH THE ROYAL MALAYSIAN AIR FORCE
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Sikorsky and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) celebrated 50 years of continuous service of the S-61 helicopter in Malaysia. The milestone was celebrated September. 17 with a commemorative dinner attended by Malaysian Chief of Air Force, General Tan Sri Dato Sri Hj Affendi bin Buang and scores of RMAF helicopter crew members.
The first of an initial order for 10 S-61 aircraft, subsequently named the Nuri by the RMAF, arrived in Malaysia in late 1967. Since its introduction, the Nuri S-61 has demonstrated its multi-role capability with a variety of missions including transport and search and rescue across the country.
Since 1967, scores of RMAF crew members have trained with Sikorsky, joining generations of Sikorsky-trained pilots who have flown more than 24 million flight hours in S-61 aircraft around the world, in both military and civilian service.
The RMAF’s Nuri aircraft are based in Butterworth in West Malaysia, and Kuching in East Malaysia. The fleet was recently upgraded with features including avionics and glass cockpit ensuring the platform remains modern and reliable.