The Malawi Police Service has confirmed it is weighing the purchase of modern aircraft as it attempts to rebuild an Air Wing that has been effectively non-functional for years -- and to determine whether its grounded helicopter is financially salvageable.

The helicopter, once central to surveillance, search-and-rescue and national security duties, has been sitting idle at Mtakataka Air Wing in Dedza after suffering mechanical failure. Its prolonged grounding has left the service without any aerial capability, a gap that has persisted through multiple security incidents.

National Police Spokesperson Lael Chimtembo said officers began local training in aircraft operation and maintenance on 12 January, an attempt to rebuild technical capacity that had eroded during the Air Wing's dormancy.

But she acknowledged that the helicopter's future hinges on a cost-benefit calculation.

"We are assessing the rehabilitation cost, and we do not want it to exceed the aircraft's operational value," she said -- a pointed admission that the service may be forced to write off the asset entirely.

The review underscores a broader issue: the police are attempting to revive an aviation unit without a functioning aircraft, without confirmed procurement timelines, and while still training personnel to operate equipment they do not yet have.