KUALA LUMPUR: On July 2, KD Laksamana Hang Nadim successfully fired an Aspide SAM against a towed target. One heart may warmed from reading the news but the fact that the ship itself is 26 years old, one wonder whether the ship and her sister ships remained relevant in these fast changing world.
KD Laksamana Hang Nadim firing the Aspide missile
Yes, we could spent a small sum of money to upgrade the ship but how long will the rusting hull be good enough for our sailors. The ship and her sister ships are not being sent to the waters off Somalia for the piracy patrols and one wonder why? Does the lack of a helicopter negated the utility of the Laksamana class and will that affect any future upgrading plans?
From past experience, such negatives would easily be trumped up by national interests….
–Malaysian Defence.
If you like this post, buy me an espresso. Paypal Payment
View Comments (22)
The Laksamanas are not well suited at all for high seas use. They were designed to operate in the confined waters at the tip of the Persian Gulf, from their home port of Umm Qasr on the Shatt-al-Arab.
The accommodations are quite inadequate for extended patrols and the CINC is utterly tiny and an ergonomic nightmare. It very much resembles a WWII submarine in this regard. I don't know if they integrated the Aspide control functions in the upgrade but the original control panel is utterly retro.
There is no real point in recapitalizing these vessels.
Simon
I am no navy expert, but the way i see it these ships have only one purpose...to fight. Its not pretty, its not the most comfortable but among all ships in RMN it is the most heavily armed and the most potent. The aspide range up to 25km (latest version not sure whether we got that), Ottomat up to 120 km (or more) plus torpedo and cannons. Compared that to the lekiu with CLOS Seawolf of max 10km and MM40 max 70km plus torpedo and cannons.
It may be 26 years old but the fact that for 10 years it was left doing nothing in italy before RMN took it back in mid 90's. Not sure whether any updates being done. Again these ships are nothing but beast of war, not for patrol
The Laksamanas are still very relevant to the RMNs needs as the RMN is not expected to operate in a hight threat environment. As mr t pointed out, the Laksamanas were designed to operate in a littoral environment in low threat scenarios. Though the Laksamanas are classified as a corvette, they share the same drawbacks as FACs- limited endurance, low waterline that places limitations on it sensors and the inability to defend itself against serious air threats.
Actually the laksamana's are designed as a very large FACM's. It is designed to fight and destroy much larger ships but in a littoral environment. Their armerments are much heavier than most frigates (the lekiu's included) but as of their small size, their range is of course limited. They are very capable ships and a huge deterrent to other warships that plans to engage the RMN fleet, but to expect them to do long range escort (which it is not designed to do) shows the lack of knowledge of naval warfare of those who expects such things.
They are much better defended against air threat compared to most RMN vessels, even to the Lekiu IMHO
As surface strike units they play the FAC role pretty well, because that is what they are.
Just don't ask them to do things that need a frigate or corvette.
The Laksamanas were the first ships in the RMN after the Lekiu class to be fitted with an active jammer.
kamal...spoken like a truly clueless landlubber and armchair admiral.
Poor seaworthiness translates directly into degraded sensor and weapons performance in rough weather. It also takes a toll on the vessel and more importantly the crew. They roll like logs in heavy weather, which is why they are routinely deployed without a full weapons load.
The craptastic internal arrangements results in accelerated crew fatigue which in turn reduces combat efficiency.
As for their much vaunted air defence capability, it zeroes out in Sea State IV or worse as they are inadequately stabilized. The Aspide is a SARH missile and the illuminators crap out in heavier seas.
They lack any stealth features and organic OTH targeting capability, essential to make use of the reach of the Otomats.
I'd trade them for Haminas in a heartbeat.
For comparison I think the Victory class comes closest in terms of displacement. Both were build around the same time using the same period technology. The main advantage the Victory has is more Barak 1s than the Laksamanas 4 Sparrows and a VDS. I also suspect that the Israeli made EW on the Victory works better against Western stuff than the Italian made EW. After the Victory, the TNI Parchims come the closest. The problem wuth the Parchims is a lack of an integrated combat management system.
yep meester again again i already told u i am a clueless armchair general who also believes in tooth fairy. As an idiot the haminas of the finnishh navy (correct me if i am wrong) is at least 15 years ahead in technology and in ship time. Plus with out knowing the actual cost, i believe it is way more expensive than the old laksamana.
Again sir who seems to know it all, i am saying compared to the rest of the RMN, this is he best we got so far (sadly though) hahahahah. ok now i will go and play with the tooth fairies