http://homepage.eircom.net/~steven/royal_malaysian_navy.htm
Lying between the Straits of Malacca on its west coast, and with
the South China Sea to the East, Malaysia occupies a
geo-strategically important, and sensitive, area. An essentially
maritime nation with numerous offshore territories, the country has
ongoing maritime disputes with most of its neighbours, both within
and outside ASEAN. In total, the RMN is responsible for
safeguarding 4,900km of coastline, a 3,200km exclusive economic
zone and 598,540 square kilometers of territorial waters. Its
missions are, therefore, heavily weighted towards local sea control
and SLOC protection-type activities, ranging from ASW to EEZ
protection, to the defence of merchant shipping and ship-borne
reinforcements to various island possessions. Malaysia's Armed
Forces suffered from the economic downturn that the country
suffered during the 90's. But in the last few years the economy has
recovered which resulted in a large increase in defense
spending.
Today Malaysia has one of the most ambitious defence procurement
plans in south-east Asia. Major Orders for the Royal Malaysian Navy
include an order for 3 submarines worth about 1.035 billion euro
(US$972 million). with French and Spanish Shipyards. The order
includes 1 Ex-French navy Agosta 70 Submarine for initial training
and 2 new SSK Scorpene submarines to enter service in 2007 and 2009
respectively. These are the first submarines to enter Malaysian
service and a new naval base is being built to house the submarines
at Teluk Sepanggar in the east Malaysian state of Sabah in Borneo.
These submarines are a powerful addition to the Malaysian fleet and
will compose a serious threat to Singapore. Another major deal was
for as many as 27 new generation patrol vessels (NGPVs). According
to the reports, the purchase of these ships will be spread over 15
years, and will be the country's largest-ever defence procurement
programme. In October 1997 it was announced that the German Naval
Group, led by Blohm and Voss, had been selected as the foreign
partner for the deal.
In May 1999 the government gave the go-ahead for the first batch of
six ships to be built. The major beneficiary of the deal will be
the Penang Shipbuilding Corporation - Malaysia's biggest defence
company.
Recent additions to the fleet were two Lekiu Class friagtes, KD
Lekiu and Jebat which are the most powerful warships in the Royal
Malaysian Navy (RMN) and amongst the most advanced of their type in
the region. The Navy Air Arm is to be completely replaced with new
helicopters. The current sole helicopter type is RMN service is the
WASP HAS.1 which is to be replaced by 6 AS 555 SN Fennec for
training duties and 6 Super Lynx 300. The Chief of the RMN has
recently outlined the need for an light carrier in the near future.
The light carrier would act as a Multi-Role support ship which
would improve the RMN capabilities in defending Malaysian
interests. Included with the light carrier would be 6-10 fixed wing
attack aircraft. The RMN is also looking for up to 4 new MPA.
Surface Combatants :
- Lekiu Class Frigates
The Malaysian Ministry of Defence placed a contract on Yarrow
Shipbuilders (now BAE Systems Marine) in Glasgow for two light
frigates of the Frigate 2000 design. The first ship, the Lekiu
(30), was launched in December 1994, with the second, the Jebat
(29), following in May 1995. The Kapal DiRaja Lekiu and Kapal
DiRaja Jebat frigates were commissioned into the Royal Malaysian
Navy in March and May 1999. The ships are equipped with the Alenia
Marconi Systems Nautis F II combat data system and a Radamec Series
2000 Optronic Weapon Director.
The frigates anti-ship missile is the MBDA MM40 Exocet Block II.
The two four-cell launchers are installed on the ship. The MBDA
Seawolf short-range missile provides protection against supersonic
aircraft and anti-ship missiles to a range of 6km. The twelve
vertical launchers are installed in front of the bridge. The ships
main gun is the Bofors 57mm gun that fires 2.4kg shells at a rate
of 220 rounds/min. Two MSI 30 mm guns fire 0.36kg rounds to a range
of 10km at a firing rate up to 650 rounds/min. On the raised deck
at the level of the roof of the helicopter hangar are the Whitehead
324mm B515 triple tube torpedo launchers for lightweight
anti-submarine launchers. The ship is equipped with a hangar and a
helicopter deck with a single landing spot to accommodate an
AgustaWestland Lynx helicopter
- Kasturi Class (FS 1500) Frigates
In the 1980's two Kasturi class Frigates were delivered to the
Royal Malaysian Navy, which were constructed in Germany by HDW on
the FS 1500 Frigate design.They are armed with a Creusot Loire
100mm main gun, Bofors Mk1 57mm gun , 30mm twin cannons, Bofors
375mm ASW rockets and 4 MM38 Exocet SSM. They lack serious AAW and
point-defense systems.
The 2 ships are planned to go through an upgrade soon, which will
see their command and control system upgraded as well as a new
electronic warfare suite. Torpedo tubes and a CIWS like the Phalanx
will be installed.
- Laksamana Class Corvettes
In October 1995 the Malaysian Ministry of Finance signed a contract
with Fincantieri for the supply of two 650t missile corvettes for
the Royal Malaysian Navy. A further two missile corvettes were
ordered in February 1997.The original ship design had been ordered
by the Iraqi Navy, some specific aspects of the ships' design were
modified and the ships were refitted to meet the requirements of
the Royal Malaysian Navy.
The ship's long-range sea-skimming missile system is the Otomat
Mark 2/Teseo by MBDA. Six Otomat Teseo Mark 2 missile launcher,
three pointing to port and three pointing starboard, are installed
on the stern deck. The ship's medium-range air defence system is
the Albatros supplied by MBDA, which provides defence against
aircraft and incoming anti-ship missiles. Albatros fires the Aspide
missile which has a speed of Mach 2.5 and a 15km range. The ships
torpedo system is the ILAS-3 torpedo launcher from Whitehead Alenia
of Salvanio, Italy. The triple launchers are installed one each
side on the main deck armed with the A244/S anti-submarine
torpedoes.The ship's radar suite consists of: RAN 12L/X air and
surface search radar, supplied by Alenia Marconi Systems.
- Meko A-100 RMN Class Corvettes
The Malaysian Navy has ordered six Meko A-100 to be used as coastal
patrol vessels. The first two will be built in Germany and
assembled in Malaysia. Subsequent vessels will be built by PSC
Naval Dockyard, Malaysia. The keel for the first ship was laid down
in November 2001 and the second in December 2001. They are
scheduled for delivery in 2004.
The MEKO A-100 RMN patrol vessel being built for Malaysia has a
displacement of 1,650t. Initially the vessels will be armed by an
OtoBreda 76/62 Rapido medium range gun and an OtoBreda/Mauser 30mm
short range gun, but provision is made for the later addition of
one RAM (Rolling Airframe Missile) RIM-116A launcher for air
defence and two launchers for the MM40 Exocet anti-ship missile.
The vessel's combat management system will be the STN Atlas
Elektronik COSYS-110M1. The main surveillance radar will be the
TRS-3D/16 ES three-dimensional radar from EADS Deutschland.
- Handalan Class (Spica-M) Patrol Craft
Small Patrol Craft armed with 1 Bofors 57 mm /70 gun, 1 Bofors 40
mm /70 gun and 4 Aerospatiale MM 38 Exocet Anti-Ship Missiles. The
Patrol craft are a Swedish Design and a total of four Spica-M
Patrol Craft were built by It was built by Karlskrona (Sweden) and
all four were commissioned in October 1979.
KD Handalan (3511), is the Patrol Craft's squadron Flagship. These
are due to go through an upgrade will see the introduction of new
radar suite and more modern Anti-Ship missiles.
Support Ships :
- Sri Indera Sakti Class Support Ships
The RMN has two Sri Indera Sakti Class support Ships, KD Sri Indera
Sakti (1503) commissioned in 1980 and KD Mahawangsa (1504)
commissioned in 1983. They are Multi-Role Support Ships who can
perform a variety of duties like logistics, transport, amphibious
transport, command post, small craft tender, training ship
,..
KD Sri Indera Sakti was built in Germany and KD Mahawangsa in South
Korea. They can carry upto 600 troops and fully loaded their
displacement is 4,300 tons. They are armed with 1 Bofors Mk1 57mm
gun and 2 20mm Machine guns.
Submarines :
- Agosta 70 Class Training Submarine
MALAYSIA on Wednesday, June 5, sealed a 1.035 billion euro (US$972
million) deal to buy three French submarines to establish its first
fleet of subs but dismissed fears of an arms race. One of these is
a overhauled ex-French navy submarine, the Agosta 70, for initial
training. The Agosta will be used to train RMN personnel in Toulon
for four years, before being transferred to Malaysia.
186 Malaysian officials would be trained by the French navy over
the next two to four years to operate the submarines. A new naval
base to house the submarine squadron is being built at Teluk
Sepanggar in the east Malaysian state of Sabah in Borneo.
- SSK Scorpene Class Attack Submarine
The Malaysian Ministry of Defence has awarded European naval
shipbuilders DCN International and Izar a contract to build two
medium-size Scorpene submarines. The contract signing ceremony held
on June 6th 2002 in Kuala Lumpur marks an impressive move by the
Royal Malaysian Navy paving the way for the formation of a
submarine fleet. Submarines will significantly expand Malaysia's
naval capabilities.
The two new-generation conventional attack submarines (SSKs) will
be built jointly by DCN and Izar. The first, to enter service in
2007, will be assembled in Cherbourg (France) and the second, to
enter service in 2008, at Izar's Cartagena shipyard in Spain.
Scorpene is equipped with six bow-located 21in torpedo tubes
providing salvo launch capability. The submarine's weapons include
anti-ship and anti-submarine torpedoes and anti-surface missiles.
18 torpedoes and missiles can be carried, or 30 mines. The handling
and loading of weapons is automated. The SUBTICS combat management
system, with up to six multifunction common consoles and a
centrally situated tactical table, is collocated with the
platform-control facilities. The vessel's sonar suite includes a
long-range passive cylindrical array, an intercept sonar, active
sonar, distributed array, flank array, a high-resolution sonar for
mine and obstacle avoidance and a towed array. The submarine
incorporates a high level of system redundancy to achieve an
average 240 days at sea per year per submarine. The maximum diving
depth is 300m. The planning and design of the Scorpene was directed
towards achieving an extremely quiet vessel with a great detection
capability and offensive power. Designed for missions ranging from
anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare to special operations and
intelligence gathering.
Helicopters :
- AS 555 SN Fennec
Following an announcement in April that the Fennec had been chosen
to replace the ex-Royal Navy WASP HAS.1 fleet operated by the Royal
Malaysian Navy , the Malaysian government signed a contract for six
AS 555 SN Fennecs on the penultimate day of Lima 2001. The
twin-engined AS 555 SN Fennec will be used as training platforms
for future Super Lynx pilots.
The Fennec fleet will also perform the light utility and liaison
roles. The sensor suite was not announced but will most likely
include a GPS and FLIRThe AS 555 SN is armed with torpedoes and is
used for anti-submarine warfare.
- Super Lynx 300
Malaysia is the launch customer for the Super Lynx 300, having
confirmed its order for six of the type in September 1999 in a
contract valued at £100 million. Aircraft ZJ905, the second of six
AgustaWestland Super Lynx 300 helicopters destined for the Royal
Malaysian Navy, was unveiled at Farnborough 22 July 2002 in the
first public display of the aircraft.
The latest generation, the Super Lynx 300 took its maiden flight in
June 2001. The first production version (for the Malaysian Navy)
flew in May 2002. It incorporates an all new glass cockpit with
seven colour active matrix LCDs (liquid crystal displays), new
avionics, improved airframe, more powerful CTS800-4N engines
(jointly developed by Rolls-Royce and Honeywell partnership, LHTEC)
with FADEC (Full Authority Digital Electronic Control). The new
engines will operate more effectively in hot and high conditions.
The Super Lynx 300 can be armed with up to four Sea Skua anti-ship
missiles, a range of depth charges, including the Mark 11 depth
charges, and torpedoes, including the Mark 44, Mark 46, the A244S
and the Stingray torpedoes.
