SHAH ALAM: Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari on January 27 confirmed that the Lockheed Martin TP-77 long range air surveillance radar gifted by the US located in Labuan, is now operational. He said the radar arrived in December.
Adly was speaking to reporters at Labuan airbase after visiting Sabah and Labuan over the last few days. He also made a short visit to the Pulau Layang-layang – Stesen LIMA – in the South China Sea. You can read the report here.
Due to the current situation, it is unlikely that the Defence Ministry and government will issue any more information about the gifted US radar. Adly himself only said a few words on the radar at the event. That said RMAF and the Defence Ministry has always been reluctant to talk about radars and similar capabilities.
Anyhow as reported previously,
Defence Minister DSU Mohamad Hasan told Parliament on March 16 that the Lockheed Martin TPS-77 long range surveillance radar will be commissioned in Labuan by year end. He said it would replace the Alenia radar which has been decommissioned as it is no longer mission capable. The radar will be placed at Bukit Kubong, Labuan, the site where the Alenia used to be operated by Skuadron 340.
The TPS-77 radar is gifted by the US to Malaysia under the Building Partner Capacity programme.
Another report on the gifted radar.
Lockheed Martin has been awarded a firm contract from the US government to supply a long range air surveillance radar including support and training for the RMAF. The radar is likely the one to be gifted to Malaysia by the US as reported previously. Although the announcement did not mention the type, it did say it cost some US$25 million (RM104 million) and expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2025.
Meanwhile, China continues its intrusive patrols in Malaysian, Vietnam and Indonesia EEZ in the South China Sea.
–Malaysian Defence
If you like this post, buy me an espresso. Paypal Payment
View Comments (31)
Whatever it is
Intrusion by China coast guard should be primarily responded by our own coast guard (APMM) and not our navy (TLDM)
The current predicament of the lack of hulls in the water to respond to China Coast Guard should be answered with prioritizing new ships for APMM, not putting billions for TLDM to get a corvette that is neither here or there in regards of its armament and capability (over armed for a mere OPV, but under armed to cover gowind mission capability).
Getting corvettes for the LMS requirement is in my opinion not an answer to both China Coast guard and the delay to the Gowind frigate project.
To respond to China Coast Guard >>> get more OPVs for APMM
To settle the Gowind project delay >>> make the hard decision by hook or by crook to concentrate completing the gowinds once and for all, and complete all 6 ships.
Hulubalang "Intrusion by China coast guard should be primarily responded by our own coast guard (APMM) and not our navy (TLDM)".
most transnational crime are done by non state actors happens nearer to coast and your proposal not only would overtask the navy with law enforcement duty but asking them to do so on an overpriced Ship to do such task and equip with effector that specialises in denying threat from the sea that have a low risk of ever happening
Meanwhile the CG which supposed to be law enforcement first organisation is out there in deep water in an under arms ships responding to threats at sea by a state actors?
I think you got priorities backwards.
… - “ Intrusion by China coast guard should be primarily responded by our own coast guard (APMM) and not our navy (TLDM)”
Indeed bobodu said otherwise and until the MMEA is able there is no other entity which can fill in the gap except the RMN] I’m assuming there is no deep state secret navy] and even if the MMEA had 30 OPVs the RMN would still have a role to play in safeguarding the EEZ.
… - “ Getting corvettes for the LMS requirement is in my opinion not an answer to both China Coast guard and the delay to the Gowind frigate project.”
No it isn’t and wasn’t meant to be… That’s the pertinent point you left out. You have a knack for perpetually and pedantically regurgitating stuff so I’ll oblige : again; the LMS is intended to perform certain roles in certain operational conditions as part of the RMN’s low/high end mix. Same thing with the RMAF going for LCAs which are not intended to go against MRCAs anymore than the LMSs are intended to go up against much better armed opponents or the AV-9s going against a Leo 2 or Winnie the Pooh gotong IP against King Kong. Also, even if all the LCSs were delivered on time the plain fact is that the RMN would still want LMSs. This has not stopped you however from claiming there is a connection.
There is place for eveythimg; all working in tandem as part of the right mix. Notwithstanding your “opinion” and simplistic conflating the RMN has openly and uneqoivocally stated why it needs LMSs.
zaft - ''most transnational crime are done by non state actors happens nearer to coast and your proposal not only would overtask the navy with law enforcement duty but asking them to do so on an overpriced Ship to do such task and equip with effector that specialises in denying threat from the sea that have a low risk of ever happening''
Do you understand what he's saying and has been saying for a long time?
Does not matter. When China choose to implement anti access and area denial, nothing we can do about it.
Hasnan - “ Does not matter. When China choose to ”
Make the distinction between war and peacetime scenarious. The issue was about peacetime challengers.
If war breaks out it’s not written in stone that we’ll be involved. We and other ASEAN claimants might be on the sidelines leaving China, the U.S and others to partake in the fun. A war in the SCS doesnt necessarily result in China making a grab for our claims: it will be focused on the major powers.
We need a well equipped RMN and MMEA to performe a variety of roles; both supplementing each other. There is no such thing as something being better than another or being more needed.
The MMEA is the main agency when it comes to certain peacetime thrests bit it’s backed by the RMN which incidently will also always have a peacetime tasking alongslde the RMN.
The LMS is not being being bought due to LCS delays or to specifically deal with Chinese intrusions and this notion should be finally put to rest. .
Arrived in Dec and commissioned before that month ended, looks like the existing weather dome could be reused and no need to spend extra money for a new one. Good thing we saved some money.
The standard TPS-77 is a tall unit when setup so me thinks we gotten the more compact TPS-77 MRR version.
The main reason for the use of Coast Guard is not to escalate any incidents to become wars. Coast Guard, as a policing force, does not have the image of being capable of escalating incidents into wars.
A reason why China is using Coast Guard (and transferring corvettes and frigates to coast guard) to intimidate and harass neighboring countries. Operating in the grey zone area just below the threshold of war.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/12/world/asia/china-coast-guard.html
@ azlan
" the LMS is intended to perform certain roles in certain operational conditions as part of the RMN’s low/high end mix "
The original LMS requirement is... The current LMS B2 Corvette is not...
The original LMS requirement is for a multi-role ship that could cover the roles of the current FAC (patrol and maritime enforcement), MCMV (minehunting), Hydrographic Survey, Fast transport vessel (Sri Gaya class FTV). In the end the ship they ended getting is a fairly conventional 68m patrol boat made in China.
Now the LMS B2 Corvette requirement was written partly to be a backup plan if the Gowind is cancelled (which is now proceeding and the builder bailed out). The LMS B2 Corvette requirement was written so that all the hardware and weapons already bought for the gowind (57mm bofors, missiles etc.) could be transferred and used on the LMS B2 Corvette.
https://pictr.com/images/2022/03/31/BThWXZ.jpg
So LMS B2 is not the "low" multipurpose platform that it was originally planned before. Currently with the weapons originally planned to be transferred to LMS B2 no longer available and going to be used to complete the Gowinds, do we really still have a need for LMS B2 Corvette? Or should we reset the LMS requirement again, to fulfil the original multipurpose platform requirement to cover missions of the current FAC (patrol and maritime enforcement), MCMV (minehunting), Hydrographic Survey, Fast transport vessel (Sri Gaya class FTV)? If TLDM still want to push for LMS B2 Corvette, what ships would do the missions of MCMV (minehunting), Hydrographic Survey, Fast transport vessel (Sri Gaya class FTV)?
Also one of the supposed "low" mission for the original LMS requirement is maritime enforcement, patrol and show of presence. Those are APMM missions, and TLDM should not create and operate a ship specifically to primarily do those missions.
https://www.malaysiandefence.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/wp-1490251194874.jpg
Azlan "If war breaks out it’s not written in stone that we’ll be involved. We and other ASEAN claimants might be on the sidelines leaving China, the U.S and others to partake in the fun."
If hulubalang have his way then MAF won't even have the capability to join in the fun.
Hulubalang" A reason why China is using Coast Guard (and transferring corvettes and frigates to coast guard) to intimidate and harass neighboring countries. Operating in the grey zone area just below the threshold of war"
Beijing does so because they can't afford a war as they are dependence on SCS & SOM for export & import of energy & food input.
and neighbouring state continued on pretending that their maritime militia & CG as civilians is the best thing Beijing could ever ask for as it would enable & emboldened them to continue to partake in more greyzone activities.
Meanwhile USN 'correctly' identify their militia & CG as military combatants & would be treated as such which really up the stake for them to partake in more greyzone activities.
"So LMS B2 is not the “low” multipurpose platform that it was originally planned before.".
Duh! As times progressed so would threats perception and thus a change in plan to keep up with the times. By that logic PH navy OPV & RAN 'corvette' are a replacement of Jose rizal and hunter class. What is likely true however is the original underarms PH navy OPV & Arafura programme are being upgunned to keep up with the times.