http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Thursday/National/20070208082513/Article/index_html
MoU will bring UK T45 destroyer technology here
08 Feb 2007
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KUALA LUMPUR: When the United Kingdoms latest Type 45 (T45)
destroyer was launched recently, one thing was not immediately
obvious.
Although the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) had never operated
destroyers nor announced plans to do so, the T45 will benefit the
RMN.
The technology used in the production of the latest T45 the
Dauntless will be used in the production of the RMNs latest
frigates.
The T45 anti-air warfare destroyers have been built by BAE Systems
of the UK with the same company involved in the frigate programme
for the RMN.
The Malaysian government usually negotiates a transfer of
technology clause for procurement deals which it did with its
frigate programme.
BAE Systems recently received a letter of intent from the
government to provide two frigates via an industrial partnership
with Labuan Shipyard & Engineering Sdn Bhd (LSE).
A transfer of technology is part of the deal and this technology
will include those developed for the T45 destroyers.
Today, BAE Systems will be signing a memorandum of understanding
with Realmild Sdn Bhd, the owners of LSE, to be witnessed by Deputy
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is also Defence
Minister.
Although details of the MoU are unavailable, it is understood that
it concerns co-operation between the companies in the maritime
industrial field, with the first project being the RMN frigate
programme.
BAE Systems managing director (Asia Pacific) Steve Meighan told the
New Straits Times he believed the RMN and the maritime and defence
industries would benefit from the transfer of technology.
"The T45 has been built with the most modern, sophisticated
production techniques. These techniques will be transferred as part
of the technology package to our Malaysian partners.
"Thus, the most modern naval shipbuilding technologies will soon
exist in Malaysia.
"There are, of course, very key, central equipment technologies
that will be common between the T45 and the new RMN frigates. These
will be proven and developed on the T45 prior to integration on the
RMN vessels," he said.
"Similarly, this equipment will be supported by Malaysian companies
as part of the transfer of technology package."
Meighan said BAE Systems was confident LSE would be more than able
to undertake the frigate programme once certain measures were
taken.
The entire programme is expected to take about five years, but LSE
needs to upgrade the infrastructure at its shipyard in Labuan
before the programme can get started. The upgrading work is
expected to take six months.
The Dauntless is the second of eight T45 destroyers which will, in
concert with the UKs Future Aircraft Carrier, provide the backbone
of the RMNs air defences for much of the first half of the 21st
century.
The vessels are expected to be in service with the RMN until at
least 2040.
