SHAH ALAM: RMN has taken delivery of corvette KD Laksamana Muhammad Amin – pennant number 136 – from Grade One Marine Shipyard Sdn Bhd, some 32 months after she was sent there to undergo an extensive refit.
The refit for Muhammad Amin involved her getting a new hull and engines as part of the RMN Obsolescence Programme. She is also getting a new FCS courtesy of the programme.
The handover ceremony was held at the shipyard today, unfortunately, RMN has not seen fit to give us pictures of the newly refitted ship. Release from the RMN:
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LUMUT, 20 Ogos β KD LAKSAMANA MUHAMMAD AMIN melakar sejarah sebagai kapal kedua selepas KD PERKASA menjalani selenggaraan berjadual refit secara re-hull, termasuk re-powering. Di atas keberhasilan inisiatif luar kotak tersebut, Panglima Logistik Barat, Laksamana Pertama Ts. Shaiful Bahari bin Baharuddin telah menyempurnakan majlis penerimaan di Limbungan Grade One Marine Shipyard Sdn Bhd yang turut dihadiri oleh Panglima Armada Barat, Laksamana Madya Datoβ Ts. Shamsuddin bin Haji Ludin.
Pendekatan re-hull ini boleh dianggap paradigm shift pelaksanaan selenggaraan berjadual kapal TLDM di limbungan. Ini disebabkan secara conventional, hull kapal akan menjalani senggaraan secara replating. Namun disebabkan 3 faktor utama iaitu lebih cepat, kos kompetitif dan ketahanan lebih lama, maka kaedah re-hull telah diimplementasi walaupun dipertikaikan pada awalnya. Kaedah ini adalah pendekatan interim terhadap tatacara senggaraan berjadual kapal di limbungan, khususnya bagi kapal yang telah berusia.
Hasil inisiatif re-hull ini, KD LAKSAMANA MUHAMMAD AMIN telah diberi nafas baharu dalam aspek keupayaan operasi, jangka hayat serta supportability yang lebih baik. Lebih membanggakan, kesemua aktiviti projek dilaksana sepenuhnya oleh anak tempatan, membuktikan keupayaan industri pertahanan maritim negara.
If they release the pictures of Muhammad Amin after the handover, I will update this posting with them.
— Malaysian Defence
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Is there a plan to re-arming the laksamanas?
Rather than a rehull it looks like the same hull but with a new design superstructure. The hullform and anchor house on the new looks the same as old one.
Grade1 did a really good job at delivering, including rescuing past problematic projects, so I hope the Govt can fast select them to continue OPV #2 & 3 now that their project team is free.
Nope
These smaller shipyards seem capable of doing some pretty major work, yet gov will still go to the big boys time and again with predictable consequences
Does the aspide launcher still active?
The option of rehull is quite perplexing. I wonder how much more expensive if RMN just ask them to do a new 1 to 1 copy and salvage just the weapon system
GOM has posted the 136 ship model reels on Facebook for over a month. From the model, the Aspide SAM has been removed and the SSM location now has a RHIB. As Facebook reels only play for 24 hours, need to wait for them to share again.
Nope
@Jannisary
Pretty odds to called grade one a *small yard considering by looking at it from the outside their yard is obviously bigger than either THHE, destini etc etc.
Alex – ”The option of rehull is quite perplexing.”
It was seen as the only practical option and one which could get approval. As far back as 2013 the RMN had already made such plans but never thought it would actually have to be implemented. The person who told me this in 2013 was incredulous.
Airiel – ”Does the aspide launcher still active?”
To be pedantic I’m sure the launcher is still fine; problem is the missiles, radar, tracker and a long list other things have been inoperable for at least a decade now. By 2013 the triple torp tubes from a pair of Laksamanas had already been transferred to the Kasturis. As side note outside PUSMAS there is a Aspide alongside a Seawolf. There is also a L/70; LIMBO launcher [from Hang Tuah] and a 20mm Oerlikon [I believe from one of the Mahamirus – Ton] in immaculate condition. All these can be seen from outside.
Qamarul – ”Is there a plan to re-arming the laksamanas?”
Why would there when there’s a long list of other things which need funding. ”Re-arming” the class entails spending more money and not just on the weapons. This is a question which I’m surprised still gets asked.
Jannisary – ”yet gov will still go to the big boys time and again with predictable”
consequences”
What do you expect when there are unrealistic timelines; a lack of independent oversight; no corrective mechanisms; insufficient funding; political and industry
interference/ meddling and the yard is not put through a learning curve. BTW yes other yards should be awarded ship built contracts but to be fair none of them have ever constructed a naval ship as large and complex as the LCS.
zaft – ”Pretty odds to called grade one a *small yard”
If you read again what he wrote – ”These smaller shipyards seem capable of doing some pretty major work” – he was referring to yards smaller than the likes of Lunas.
The only issue here is that all though she has been delivered; she has yet to be fitted with the FCS developed by Mindmatics. For more we also have no idea if she has been fitted with the Australian electro-optical sight. Stating the obvious; a pair of directors are needed to control the main gun and the twin 40mm mounting it has Marhalim reported on the director?
Another question is whether she miles work will actually be performed on her 3 sisters; now that the 3 LMS Batch 2s have been contacted for. Under the original plan; had the LMS programme proceeded on schedule; as per the RMNβs requirement the Laksamanas were to have been amongst the first ships to be retired.
The EO turrets will feed the targets into the FCS where the guns will be fired. That is the plan anyway.
I was told at the moment, there is no plan to do the same things on the other Laksamana. Grade One also did a refit on KD Laksamana Hang Nadim recently but she came out earlier than Muhammad Amin.
What are the firepowers available on board this Corvette.SSM, SAM, AS torpedoes etc…
Guns only.
If it takes 32months per boat, I dont see a reason to continue considering LMS2 will likely be delivered sooner than that.