The Royal Malaysian Navy operates six Fennecs since 2003 which have clocked up more than 5,000 flight hours without any major problem.

Testimony of Shaharul Amir Bin Omar, Lt. Cdr. of the 502th Squadron of the Royal Malaysian Navy.

“Our Fennecs serve as training platform to fulfil the necessary standard and qualification requirements for the naval air crews and technicians before they are transferred to the Super Lynx Squadron. If the aircraft are not on training missions, they can also perform surface warfare, naval gun spotter and SAR missions, medical and casualty evacuation, vertical replenishment, maritime special operations, intelligence, aerial photography, mercy flights and joint operations with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency. All kind of missions are operated from the base at Lumut, Perak which is strategically well positioned between the northern and southern west coast of the Malaysian peninsular. In addition, the Fennec can be operated from RMN ships which have flight deck capabilities. Thus, they can be operated anywhere from Malacca Strait to the South China Sea. Recently, a permanent detachment at the Sepangar base in Kota Kinabalu has been established to provide support for maritime operations over the East Malaysian coastal area. What we appreciate most about the Fennecs is their high serviceability and easy maintenance. Until now they have always been able to carry out 100% of their missions. For our pilots, the Fennec is a user-friendly aircraft with a high safety level which increases their confidence in the helicopter in case of an emergency. Besides, we have been given very good support from Eurocopter Malaysia in terms of maintenance, technical advice and spare parts support.”