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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View Comments (37)
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?
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.
If the ministry doesnt want it, the TLDM (purportedly) doesnt want it, then who da heck made the proposal? The Aussies? I doubt it.
AFAIK there is no proposal from Oz. It was probably the ministry and RMN looking at their options.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Yes