SHAH ALAM: The Defence Ministry has found that the former HMAS Anzac of the Royal Australian Navy is not suitable for RMN even as an interim vessel. Defence Minister DS Khaled Nordin told Parliament today that they were looking at retired or soon to be retired naval vessels to serve with the RMN as interim vessels.
Khaled was quoted as saying by Air Times News Network that the RMN has concluded that the Anzac was unsuitable to serve even as interim vessel as they had different equipment and systems.
“Moreover, it will take about two years – in 2027- to prepare the ship to enter service with RMN. By 2027 at least two LCS will be in service with RMN,” he said. Khaled also said the RMN will also take delivery of three LMS Batch 2 from Turkiye in 2027.
From Khaled’s own social media account.
Saya telah disoal berkenaan projek pembinaan Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) 2 memandangkan baru-baru ini LCS 1 telah berjaya diluncurkan di Limbungan Lumut mengikut jadual kontrak.
Kementerian Pertahanan menaruh keyakinan bahawa projek pembinaan 5 buah kapal LCS dapat diserahkan kepada pihak Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) mengikut tempoh masa yang telah dirancangkan secara berperingkat mulai Ogos 2026.
Sehingga Mei 2024, kemajuan pembinaan LCS 2 adalah sebanyak 64.66% dan saya turut mengambil kesempatan untuk memaklumkan status kemajuan LCS yang lain iaitu LCS1 sebanyak 75%, LCS2 sebanyak 64.66%, LCS 3 sebanyak 56.58%, LCS 4 sebanyak 51.10% dan LCS 5 adalah sebanyak 42.33%.
Menjelang 2027, selain daripada memiliki 2 buah LCS yang telah siap dibina, kita juga akan memiliki 3 buah Littoral Mission Ship (LMS) Batch 2 yang sedang dibina di Republik Turkiye, bagi mengukuhkan lagi kesiagaan TLDM kita.
This is a snippet of what was said in Parliament today. Once the Hansard – the official proceedings of the Dewan Rakyat – is published, this post will be updated accordingly.
Anzac was retired from RAN on May 18 after 28 years of service. Seven other ships in the class remained in service with RAN. The second of Anzac class, HMAS Arunta is scheduled to retire from RAN next year. RMN is familiar with the Anzac class ships as most of them -including the two Royal New Zealand ships – has visited Malaysia on various occasions.
— Malaysian Defence
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So now we can said that besides Indonesia and Philippine, Malaysia also officially looking for the used warship for the RMN. This also shows that RMN are aware and take note about the ships that decomissionned or son to be decomissionned aroun them. Just hope RMN officers fast in making decision before others navy grabs thats opportunity.
Yes but this is mostly at the ministry level, as RMN have a lot caveats.
Rock – ”So now we can said that besides Indonesia and Philippine, Malaysia also officially looking for the used warship for the RMN. ”
This isn’t news; it was generally known.
The issue is that the service needs ‘new’/extra hulls but it does not want to be in a position where it has to struggle to sustain an aged high mileage hull fitted with various systems which have no commonality with what’s currently operated. No point solving one problem; only to be faced with a new set of problems. As it is even sustaining what it currently has is an issue. You aware of the pair of Lynxs which are stored due to lack of funding to operate them?
We’re not talking about a pre owned car here but a ship with various systems, generators, engines, shafts and a long list of other things which have to be sustained and people trained to do it. In the past the RMN has turned down various offers for pre used hulls.
No doubt other navies might have less issues with pre used hulls but then those navies may have more resources than the RMN and are willing to incur certain penalties. In a previous post I did speculate as to the reasons the RMN would not want ANZACs orType 23s.
If not the Type 23 or the Anzac, what other interm ships are they looking at?
If the ministry doesnt want it, the TLDM (purportedly) doesnt want it, then who da heck made the proposal? The Aussies? I doubt it.
I wonder if RMN is still hesitant with gas turbine as main propulsion system on their vessel
Yup due to the high cost of maintenance.
AFAIK there is no proposal from Oz. It was probably the ministry and RMN looking at their options.
Likely the Pohang class from South Korea and the US LCS. Indonesia is getting one but the cost to refurbish the vessels is said to be US$35 million or around RM164 million.
The US LCS is wildly expensive to maintain though.
IMHO the fastest shipbuilder in the world is in China’s Jiangnan or CSCC. Both are state owned. But we tried that & it didn’t went well. The earliest new hull to enter the service will be in 2026, that’s 2 years gap. Rather than buying older ships what about upgrading the Kedah’s class? Let us start exploring with 2 hulls first. Buy the RIM & give it the already bought NSM missiles. Later can contra it with LCS. We have to improvise. Just my 2 cents.
Qamarul – ”But we tried that & it didn’t went well. ”
It was politically expedient and the only affordable option. We knew from the start there would be various penalties to be incurred.
Qamarul – ”IMHO the fastest shipbuilder in the world is in China’s Jiangnan or CSCC.”
The Chinese have the largest industrial capacity in the world. The smallest yard they have is reportedly larger than the largest American yard. The past ten years the Chinese constructed about 100 destroyers, frigates and corvettes for the PLAN. Nobody comes close.
Qamarul – ”Rather than buying older ships what about upgrading the Kedah’s class? ”
You can upgrade it all you want but it doesn’t change the fact that there’s an acute need for more hulls; does it now? Also; given space and engineering/technical constraints there’s a limit as to how far it can be upgraded.
Qamarul – ”We have to improvise.”
We do but we also have to factor in a whole host of factors and decide on the level of trade offs we’re willing to make.
HHI cut the steel for the new Philippine Navy 3100 tonne frigate in May 2023. The ship was launched on June 18, this year. So they could built fast as well.
No doubt but can they also construct ships on the scale the Chinese can?
In WW2 the Americans were averaging about 6 weeks for a Liberty ship.
Question, is it still possible for LUNAS to build more Kedah-class? This time fitted with better armaments.
My opinion is no need for used ship just sign second batch of 5 ADA class as soon as possible
Azlan: You can upgrade it all you want but it doesn’t change the fact that there’s an acute need for more hulls; does it now? Also; given space and engineering/technical constraints there’s a limit as to how far it can be upgraded.
From my understanding we are short of a proper combatant vessel not necessarily short of hulls. What are the operational tempo for the 6 Kedah class? This class entered the service from 2006 & 2010 so it is fairly newer than any hulls except the Keris class. In 2022 the Navy did propose for a plan to equip the Kedahs with RAM for USD48 million dollars not included with the SSM. For that price its a no brainer. I wonder what happened to that plan as reported by Janes.com
https://www.janes.com/osint-insights/defence-news/sea/malaysian-navy-proposes-to-equip-kedah-class-corvettes-with-naval-strike-missile
basically any turbine powered vessel can forget already lah, they allergic. also if they want to take a frigate then it has to at least bring comparable to LCS or more, like a full sized Sylver, Mk41 VLS or even old Mk13 launcher to house SM2 MERAD. so far karel doorman and cassard class fit the description.
Now only we are thinking of an interim solution? The LCS project was stopped by the PH government in 2018 without any reason. It took the planners 6 years to figure we need an interim solution…holy cow.
The Aussies never planned to sell Anzac. A month ago, there were rumors that Anzac will be transferred to the Philippines. The Aussies said “HMAS Anzac is not suitable for sale. The majority of Anzac’s parts will be added to the supply chain in support of the remaining platforms in the class”.
Commonality should be the issue.. since we are not set at all the commonality when our frigates (UK). LCS (France), LMS (China), LMS II (Turkiye) and etc.
The importance when considering a decommissioned ship shall be the parts availability, locally and at OEM level. Since, the aims is to fill current gaps. – personal view only
Maybe a case of buying a pre-owned BMW or AUDI then not being able to maintain it?
Yup
Yes
LMS Batch 2 was the interim solution. It is is difficult to plan without any money earmarked for it.
The PH government stopped the LCS project as it was overdue and over budget.
Qamarul – “From my understanding we are short of a proper combatant vessel not necessarily short of hulls.”
Short of hulls for day to day peacetime taskings. The ‘combatant’ part is being realised with the LCSs and LMSs and even if the Kedahs were armed it would mostly be for self defence. There is only space for 4 ASMs and in the an position it’s either RAM or a short range V-SHORADs mount.
Qamarul – “What are the operational tempo for the 6 Kedah class”
A serious question? Heavy tempo. They are the main assets used in the Spratlys.
On the no “brainer” part; as I alluded to; space and technical/engineering issues at play. BTW it was a proposal by the RMN but was at at tine when there was uncertainty with the LCSs and the upgrade proof so did not meet government approval
Zainal – “Maybe a case of buying a pre-owned BMW or AUDI then not being able to maintain it?”
Or a vintage car which requires lots of maintenance and parts which might need replacing. As I alluded to; there are radars, CMSs, shafts, generators, engines, AC systems, etc, which need sustaining and people trained for it. Parts to be stocked; manuals to be mattered. On top of that we are talking about aged high mileage hulls.
Noname,
Why on earth construct more Kedahs when the LMS Batch 2 has more combat potential? Also what “better armaments” when deck space is an issue?
We could probably ask our geng Turkiye for a quotation about arming the NGPV with Atmaca. Since they themselves said the missile is cheaper than Harpoon (and NSM is more expensive than Harpoon) then rearmaming them with Atmaca is a cheaper solution if the gomen decided to rearm them
dundun- “ We could probably ask our geng Turkiye for a quotation about arming the NGPV with Atmaca”
And a quotation as to integration and certification. Then we also have to approach the OEMs of the rear, CMS and trackers because they have to provide the source/object codes.
Why not buy submarines like SG?
The plan is to buy one submarine RMK14, 2031-2035
Or a vintage car which requires lots of maintenance and parts which might need replacing. As I alluded to; there are radars, CMSs, shafts, generators, engines, AC systems, etc, which need sustaining and people trained for it. Parts to be stocked; manuals to be mattered. On top of that we are talking about aged high mileage hulls.
When you are looking at a used car of course its not your preferred main choice, especially if you are short of funds. You surely needs to put in some money to refurbish it and maintenance will be higher. It is the same cost had it been your car that you bought from new.
Quite oxymoronic when you are looking at used equipment and want most of the things to fit your requirements and have commonality with your existing assets.
Might as well say we don’t believe in an interim solution no matter what. In the event of war we want everything new.
It’s HMAS
Hasnan – ”Quite oxymoronic when you are looking at used equipment and want most of the things to fit your”
No it isn’t. The RMN – if you need a reminder – is a small under resourced navy; even adequately sustaining what little it has is a challenge.
Hasnan – ”In the event of war we want everything new.”
What about the part when we have stuff which looks great on paper but in reality has low readiness rates and stuff barely working due to funding issues. Need a reminder that we have a pair of Lynxs which are stored because we can’t afford to fly and sustain them? The RMN has made it a point to reduce its logistical footprint and there’s a reason for it. I will say what I’ve said many times before : nothing wrong with buying new but we have to be selective and the armed services are. Surely you’re not suggesting they don’t know what they need and don’t and what will be problematic and won’t.
Hasnan – ”You surely needs to put in some money to refurbish it and maintenance will be higher. ”
This has been discussed on several occasions. There comes a point where spending more than absolutely needed to sustain something for a certain age is not seen as a good long term investment; e.g. the Laksamanas, the Lekius, etc.
Hasnan – ”You surely needs to put in some money to refurbish it and maintenance will be higher.”
It’s a bit more complicated than that. Not as easy as it sounds.
Tom tom
“If not the Type 23 or the Anzac, what other interm ships are they looking at?”
USN LCS??
AFAIK the US LCS will be in the picture as it is among the ships available for countries looking for secondhand ships. Whether or not we even want them is another issue of course.
Typo – ”will say what I’ve said many times before : nothing wrong with buying ”pre used” but we have to be selective and the armed services are.”
Hasnan – ”When you are looking at a used car of course its not your preferred main choice”
Note that I mentioned ”vintage car” which on account of age and other things may inherent issues not faced by a used non ”vintage” car. Whether it’s the army or RMN or RMAF; sustainment issues is a major problem and has long been. You also need to factor in that for various new things; support can be an issue [I won’t good deeper here or give actual examples] and here we’re talking about pre owned ships of a certain age that might be fitted with system which are no longer supportable or are but have parts in limited supply.
Another issue in getting a pre used aged hull is that certain components may need replacing in the short term; is it cost effective say to get a 35 year old hull which has reached the end of its growth potential say for 20 million pounds but to discover that sustaining it for the next few years and replacing parts might cost 2-4 times more. Has anyone here bothered to ask what will be the costs of sustaining 30 odd year of ANZACs and Type 23s compared to the Lekius and Kasturis which are smaller and are fitted with less systems?
Tom Tom – ”If not the Type 23 or the Anzac, what other interm ships are they looking at?”
Something like the Pohang maybe. People tend to overlook the fact than an interim solution doesn’t necessarily mean something which has capabilities comparable to what will eventually replace it. In the very unlikely chance we accept the offer for Type 23s does anybody realistically believe all 32 of the VLS cells will be loaded?