SHAH ALAM: RMN’s second oldest ship, KD Sri Johor, pennant number 49 celebrated its 55th birthday today, as posted by the RMN Kuching reserve unit (PSTL). PSTL posted a poster of the ship (main picture) with the birthday greetings.
Sri Johor was commissioned into RMN service on February 14 1968, which meant that she is 18 days younger than her sister ship, KD Sri Perlis, pennant number 47. Both ships are now serving with the 13 Skuadron at the RMN base – Markas Laut Wilayah 2 (Mawilla 2) – Region 2 Naval Headquarters – in Sandakan, Sabah.
The other ships in the class -15- had been transferred to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) from 2005 and 2006. Most of these boats had also been retired by MMEA though an unknown number of hulls are said to be refurbished to be recommissioned into RMN again. The status of this project is unclear though.
As Sri Johor has not been seen in pictures posted by Mawila 2 for the last six months, I am guessing that she is current being work on at a shipyard under the Obsolescence Programme undertaken by the RMN to extend the service lives of its corvette, FAC and patrol craft fleet.
Sri Perlis had undergone the OP around 2019 and she returned into service by last year. Despite this RMN seemed very reluctant to show her off. From the pictures published by the RMN, it appears that the Sri Johor main superstructure had been modified and she no longer has the bulbous look of the Vosper made patrol craft. The new superstructure is squarish and has four doors on both sides.
The 33-metre-long boat currently sport a single Bofors 40mm gun on the foward deck while her aft 40mm gun has been deleted and replaced with a RHIB and its lifting crane.
The mount for two general purpose machine guns on the upper deck behind the bridge has been replaced with two .50 calibre machine gun mount.
— Malaysian Defence
Out of curiosity is there a kid Sabah and kd Sarawak within to ldm asset. I read somewhere that this 2 hulls will join the patrol squadron soon.
Yes I saw that report as well but it had gone quiet as well
Just yesterday’s news reported the Rtd Admiral Sany had blasted a scathing broadside to the sitting Govt for penny pinching, which I’m guessing its likely due to their decision to continue LCS project but reduced to 5 ships when the minimum required was for a fleet of 6 units. I hope the esteemed Rtd Admiral will continue to pressure and pull people’s attention to his grievance so that the Govt will reconsider to reinstate the 6th unit back.
55 years old still in service. It should’ve been decommissioned long time ago. How sad seeing the state of our navy today. If tomorrow China decided to march into Sarawak & split the country we would surely get annihilated
All part of the changing narrative. Last week its Rtd Chief of Navy, few days ago its Rtd Chief of Air Force. Retired admirals/generals coming out to change the old and outdated narrative to we do have external threats, we’re not investing enough, we’re not keeping up with the rest of the changing world. Also the more matured narrative that the armed forces exists not only to fight, but strategically, its existence contributes to economic and social prosperity / development (e.g. enforcing EEZ claims, convincing foreign investments their long-term investments in Malaysia is safe, convincing big powers that Malaysia is a worthwhile ally / partner). This requires changing the narrative from the more insular way of defining the armed forces by the type of conflict (e.g. low intensity) to a more external and strategic perspective, which is effective deterrence (e.g. make it sufficiently costly that the even a larger aggressor is unwilling to act). Instead of expecting change from the institutions that underinvested (e.g. governments in the past 30 years) because there is a fear of being wrong, why not take action and see what happens. If its wrong (e.g., changing narrative doesn’t work), then its wrong, we figure out another way to make things happen. If it works, great, change happens (e.g. the Armed Forces gets its 1.5% or even 1.1% sustained).
kel – ”All part of the changing narrative. ”
I’m not as sanguine. A statement by a former RMN head doesn’t necessarily mean a ”change in narrative” as you put it…
kel – ” but strategically, its existence contributes to economic and social prosperity / development (e.g. enforcing EEZ claims, convincing foreign investments their long-term investments in Malaysia is safe, convincing big powers that Malaysia is a worthwhile ally / partner).”
Why do you think we participate in the Shangri La Dialogue; ASEAN Defence Minister’s Meeting and a host of other exchanges/dialogues; as well as as multi national exercises.
kel – ”we do have external threats”
Who said we don’t? What was PERISTA and the 1988 MOU with Britain about? Why did we contribute to a large ammo cache in Thailand in the 1980’s? During Ops Petaling why were Hawks placed on 15 minute readiness and why was practically the whole RMN was at sea?
The government has long acknowledged we face external threats but types which are not existential or which will entail protracted high intensity ops.
A ”changing narrative” [as you put it] is great but it also requires a change in national policy; mindset and insitutionalised changes. If you’ve been observing things for long; you’d know that statements made by certain serving or retired individuals doesn’t necessary lead to a ”changing narrative’.
Typing long posts in paragraphs makes it easier for others to digest…
When the Vosper built Sabah, Keris and Kedahs entered service they had Brens which were replaced by SLR ‘heavy barrels’. Then came MAG 58s. I’m surprised to see them fitted with M2s. As far as I’m ware the only ships fitted with M2s were the ex USN LSTs [theM2s came with them]; Inderapura [she came with M2s and M60s] and the Kedahs [they have MAG58s and M2s].
All the Keris class are also fitted with the Chinese copy of the M2s. I believed the RMN realised that KD Sri Perlis and KD Sri Johor need the stand-off distance afforded by the 12.7mm rounds compared to the 7.62mm FN MAGs. Especially as the front 40mm L70s as you know the spray and pray type. That said it will be difficult to hit anything even with the M2s as they are firing off a mount on a moving boat.
kel – ” but strategically, its existence contributes to economic and social prosperity / development (e.g. enforcing EEZ claims, convincing foreign investments their long-term investments in Malaysia is safe, convincing big powers that Malaysia is a worthwhile ally / partner).”
These parts required no changes in narrative as it is well known not just to the politicians, the burocrat, the military but even ordinary Malaysian.
The problems had always been money. Money that could comes from escaping the middle income trap by way of more high value added FDI from the west particularly the US, which they aren’t fond of giving (for now) due to their anti globalization sentiments among their voters.
US for now are only interested in giving security partnership but not economics. Without US economics partnership we can’t go around buying weapons or behave in a way that the Chinese would found distasteful as they would imposed (like OZ had experience) an economics cost and if PRC imposed the economics cost onto us at the time when the US are unwilling to compensate then we would have less money tomorrow then we had yesterday.
Another thing is our pretty horrible defense industry policy. Most often then not our defense firms act mostly as postman rather than producers and a lot of our voters do favor these approaches due to the perception of quality of direct purchase foreign goods thus the economics & social prosperity from defense purchased are never realized. It’s not increasing our FDI,HDI nor GDP. It RRI is horrible and thus why it loses out in funding in favor for more impactful RRI project like railway or highway.
zaft – ”US for now are only interested in giving security partnership but not economics.”
Incorrect. Not ”for now” but for decades. It realises that economic development/prosperity and security go hand in hand. look at the Marshall Plan and how the U.S. practically rebuilt post war Japan.
zaft – ”Most often then not our defense firms act mostly as postman rather than producers our defense firms act mostly as postman rather than producers”
”Most often then not” they are just ”agents” in the truest sense of the word. To be fair a select few have made made the transition to being more than just agents and do offer value.
Bukan mandatory retirement age ka.
That was some 20 years ago, now it’s optional for 55, mandatory is 60
But some continue beyond their retirement on contract basis