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• Devils Advocate: LMS2 might as well go for Saar6 since our appetite for NAVAL stuff are soured by LCS fiasco and Scorpene subs that cannot dive.

• Any close-up of the container on the edge of the heli deck of that Sa'ar 6 model?

  The Sa'ar 6 corvette is designed for a very specific mission against very specific adversaries.

  The ship cost about USD480 million each.

  • I think they showing the new C-DOME launcher and mission modules which IAI is promoting currently for other ships that does not have them currently

• on IMDEX

  looks very likely that the future Singaporean MRCV Frigate would be a customized version of the Iver Huitfeldt / Type 31 frigates, and not a design from ST Marine.

  https://www.edrmagazine.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMDEX-Singapore-MRV_01.jpg

  • Like us, new ships, even for ST Marine is a big hill to climb. One need continuous shipbuilding even civil ones to develop new ones. At least they acknowledge it albeit in a roundabout way.

• @hulubalang
  "The ship cost about USD480 million each."
  RM 2Bil for a ship that appears to be more heavily armed than our LCS - which could likely cost as much as 2Bil as well - doesn't sound all that unreasonable. If need to save, we could partially armed it; load half the VLS spot, half the ASM, remove the CIWS, etc.

• French stuff are expensive because it used a lot of customised unique parts due to desire to keep productions, technology, employments & know-how locals while Germany arms manufacturers use commercial off the shelf parts. German are an industrial behemoths on itself, so they can source locally most of the parts for others that they don't manufacturers they have no a problem sourcing internationally. The Saar 6 is a fine example of German value proposition compared to similarly priced gowind.

  But french stuff despite expensive are standalone and would allow some countries to circumvent the US hegemony. Allowing them a bit more sovereignty to US 'advice' which could go as far as what 5G equipment you could have.

  SG with MRCV continued on their existing cooperation with the North sea States since the North sea states face the same geographical, political & military challenges. Help the US to contained the Russian's Baltic's fleet for both US & own security & be useful enough to the US that they have some say in shaping US policy so they can trade with Russia (then Soviet) which intertrade, interdependency & balance of power allows for coexistence all throughout the cold war all the way till last year.

  But then again all of the above are advanced, matured & stable countries whose decision is consistent as minister always act on advice of the burocrat made to prioritize national interest rather than ours politicians heavy handed approach which jump from one extreme to the others resulted in inconsistencies being the only consistent.

  we just ain't gonna have a continuous shipbuilding policy if we keep jumping all around all over the place. The desire to fully import LMS2 is a fine example of us jumping around doing the same thing we did with the gagah back then rather than more meko with BNS or continues on with local production of f2000.

• @Zaft
  "allow some countries to circumvent the US hegemony"
  One could try but if ever were to get into a tiff with USA, one call to the French President and the French will gladly give Uncle Sam whatever technical & performance capabilities of their equipment sold to that nation.

  "all of the above are advanced, matured & stable countries whose decision is consistent"
  Indeed, it didn't matter if the Govt changes every few years but the program continues. UK's QE carrier project from start of concept to operational had seen a series of Govt changes and even a bigger plethora of new PMs but it (and many other defence programs) survives the political pettiness of change. Here everytime we change Govt, everything, every decision, change 180degrees, no better showcased than the on-off-on-off-terus-masuk-longkang SPH program. How to make any meaningful progress when we end up standing still?

• Zaft - "rather than more meko with BNS or continues on with local production of f2000"

  As has been explained to you there are reasons why we won't work with the German Naval Group anymore or for that matter BAE Systems. Also, does BAE Systems still market the 1990's vintage Frigate 2000? Think ...

  As for inconsistent policy; by and large with some minor exceptions different government's have stayed the course and I can provide multiple examples.

  - With the SPHs for the vast majority of the time Caesar was the army's main choice and the political favorite.
  -The M-109 was selected because it was politically expedient and the new government cancelled it because it could as part of a politically driven cost cutting measure which it couldn't with the Little Birds without incurring a huge penalty.
  -Yavuz was selected because like many things it was part of the patronage system and was cancelled ostensibly because it didn't go through a transparent tender but may yet
  re-enter the scene.

• Sa’ar class got a navalised Iron Dome. Just wow, combination of aster & mica too. The Israelians are the most intelligent ppl in the world. Well apart from that two states conundrum, the zionist deep state, the normal people just strive to do things out of the box. No wonder pinoy buys from them. Cost as much as our own LCS. One question, how did they got Kedah’s hull rights? Hmm

• Joe "One could try but if ever were to get into a tiff with USA, one call to the French President and the French will gladly give Uncle Sam whatever technical & performance capabilities of their equipment sold to that nation."

  French equipment are for those looking into a bit more freedom of action from uncle Sam and not to be used to fight uncle Sam or her allies & patner. Seem like a perfect fit for Indian & Indonesian who are committed to neutrality to the point of accepting less wealth & go for mostly domestic consumption based economy with high degree of food security.

  For us whose have an export base economy with low degree of food security, we relied too much on the USN that we aren't capable of being neutral. But unlike PH & SG which is useful to US as they provide basing. We don't have any card to pull when dealing with the US. Then we go around buying french stuff and paid 200% more for similar capabilities that the german & US can provide but don't have the foundation to be neutral either. We are basically neither here nor there. Not because we lack strategic vision but that strategic vision objective & effectiveness is compromised when politicians just do whatever they want.

  If we relied on the US for our security & prosperity then there's no point in immitating Indian & Indonesian localisation which seek to learn building weapons from A to Z & making most if not all of its components. It enough to just have a final assembly point or be involved in the US & friends supplies chain. Being involved in US leads supply chain is what make German weapons so cost competitive compared to the French. So going around turning what essentially an APC into an IFV like the gempita doesn't actually achieved anything. We don't buy enough, we in troubles like Ukraine would depend on foreign resupplies. So why learn building an IFv from scratch in the first place? Wouldn't the atlas approach be better suited as in exchange to risk taking we get to be part of airbus supplies chains?

  Azlan "why we won’t work with the German Naval Group anymore or for that matter BAE Systema"

  If there is one thing We are very consistent in. Its reboot. We reboot the f2000 to meko then reboot the meko to gagah. Always finding fault with each supplies and forever looking for new supplies.

  Meanwhile our southern neighbors too likely face challenges but the difference is their perseverance. And now they reap the benefits of their perseverance and not needed to reboot & relook new supplier every 5 years. It got a going concern working for them and with these long term relationship they not only able to retain knowledge & talent (something BNS can't even do because orders just isn't consistent) but to advance the skill & knowledge & even involved in F35 supplies chain & creation of new IP for the unmanned MCM toolboxes.

• Qamarul - ''No wonder pinoy buys from them.''

  What they produce is pure utility and has no frills; in addition to being very customer centric in terms of threat. That's why many people buy Made in Israel.

  Zaft - ''French equipment are for those looking into a bit more freedom of action''

  Nonsense. People buy French for a multitude of reasons and it would have occurred to you [or maybe not] that a lot of French stuff people buy may not be available from the Americans for a multitude of reasons and for quite a long period there weren't many equivalents to the likes of Exocet, Milan, etc.

  Zaft - ''We reboot the f2000 to meko then reboot the meko to gagah. Always finding fault with each supplies and forever looking for new supplies.''

  Incorrect. The ''reboot'' exists only in your mind. The F2000 and Meko A-100 were for different purposes; that's why different designs were selected - you do understand this do you not? Also this may surprise you but it's not only us that may face problems with certain companies; so much for your '' finding fault with each supplies and forever looking for new supplies'' - perhaps do some research or ask around before hitting the keyboard. There are a few legitimate reasons why we were put off with Bae Systems.

  zaft - ''Meanwhile our southern neighbors too likely face challenges but the difference is their perseverance. ''

  Incorrect... What ''perseverance''? You never cease to amaze e with the things you come up with. Singapore places much more emphasis on defence because of its acute vulnerability and from Day One the PAP has drummed it into the heads of the populace; the need for a strong defence. It also helps that most politicians/law makers; etc; have NS experience. It's not ''''perseverance''.