July 17, 2006 22:30 PM
M'sia To Build Two Frigates, Buy Eight Aermacchi Aircraft
From Ahmad Fuad Yahya
LONDON, July 17 (Bernama) -- Malaysia plans to build two frigates
and purchase eight Aermacchi fighter trainer aircraft to boost
efforts to enhance the country's defence capabilities.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said these would
be part of discussions with several companies in the defence
industry for programmes to be realised under the Ninth Malaysia
Plan (9MP).
He said Malaysia had issued a letter of intent to build the two
frigates with BAE Systems and that negotiations were in
progress.
When the two new frigates are built, the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN)
will have four in its arsenal. The RMN now has two -- the KD Lekiu
and KD Jebat.
"Though the specifications are almost the same in terms of their
sizes, the defence systems will need to meet our latest
requirements," he told Malaysian journalists when visiting the
Farnborough International Air Show (FIAS) in Hampshire, outside
London, Monday.
Earlier, he met British Minister for Defence Procurement Lord Paul
Drayson and Britain's Head of Defence Export Services Organisation,
Alan Garwood.
Najib, who is also Malaysian Defence Minister, said the government
planned to use Sabah Shipyard in Labuan to build the frigates so
that it would create job opportunities for Malaysians there.
The cost had yet to be determined because negotiations had not been
completed but the government expected the programme to build the
frigates to last about four to five years, he said.
"We are not looking at it solely in terms of the cost. We also want
to see the impact the programme will have on the Malaysian economy
as the vessels will be built in Malaysia," he said.
On the plan to purchase the fighter trainers, Najib said Malaysia
planned to buy eight Aermacchi aircraft to add to 10 similar
aircraft being used by the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) for
training purposes.
The purchase was in line with the country's training requirements
to produce highly capable RMAF pilots, especially in handling the
sophisticated Russian-made Sukhoi fighters that the force was to
receive soon, he said.
On the meeting with Drayson, Najib said the British minister
explained to him about the Private Financing Initiatives (PFIs)
implemented in the United Kingdom.
He said he was told that PFIs there were not limited to
construction and maintenance of buildings but also involved
training and certain services including search and rescue
missions.
Najib, who arrived here yesterday for a week-long visit, is
attending the FIAS to scout for the latest defence technologies
that may be needed by the country in the future.
He is expected to meet British Defence Secretary Desmond Brown
Monday night.
-- BERNAMA
