SHAH ALAM: Its now confirmed, the LMS Batch II will be an Ada class corvette. Though which variant is selected and the equipment fit is currently being determined. Defence Minister DS Khaled Nordin in a written reply to a question in Parliament on March 13 stated that the government had determined the procurement of the ships will be conducted through the government-to-government approach with the Turkish government.
This will be conducted via direct negotiations with state-owned company Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik (STM), he added.
He said the Ministry of Finance on January 18 had approved of the procurement. “Following this the Defence Ministry has issued a letter of intent to the company – STM – on February 5 and the company had replied on February 8 for further negotiations.
The ministry via the Royal Malaysian Navy is currently undertaking the detail negotiations to determine the specifications and subsequently the cost before the procurement is concluded.”
Of course he did not say outright that the Ada class corvette will be LMS Batch 2 but since STM has offered the ship to meet the requirement, it is foolish to think otherwise. Khaled was responding to a question by Tanah Merah MP DS Ikmal Hisham Aziz on the procurement of LMS Batch 2.
The full answer here:
Kementerian Pertahanan akan melaksanakan perolehan Littoral Mission Ship Batch 2 (LMSB2) untuk Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) melalui pendekatan Government to Government (GtoG) dengan
syarikat berkaitan Kerajaan Turkiye secara rundingan terus iaitu Savunma
Teknolojieri Muhendislik (STM).
Kementerian Kewangan (MOF) pada 18 Januari 2024 telah memberi kelulusan terhadap perkara ini. Susulan itu, Kementerian Pertahanan telah mengeluarkan surat niat kepada pihak syarikat pada 5
Februari 2024 dan pihak syarikat telah memberikan maklum balas pada 8
Februari 2024 untuk berunding dengan Kementerian Pertahanan sebagai
wakil Kerajaan.
Pada masa ini, Kementerian Pertahanan melalui TLDM sedang di
peringkat rundingan terperinci berhubung spesifikasi yang ditawarkan dan
seterusnya akan melaksanakan rundingan harga sebelum perolehan ini
dimuktamadkan.
Malaysian Defence has reported previously that the Ada class corvette was the favourite for the LMS Batch 2 though the industry wanted RMN to look to other designs.
As previously reported there are currently three variants of the Ada class – Turkish, Pakistan and Ukrainian. All three relatively the same size – 99 metres and a displacement of 2,400 tonnes. The main weapons are the 76mm guns, eight surface to surface missiles and two torpedo launchers. They can carry two S-70 helicopters.
It is in the anti-aircraft weaponary the ships differed, the Turkish ones are fitted with a single RAM launcher while the Pakistan ones – four of them – are equipped with MBDA Albatross missiles (a longer range version of the CAAM ER/Sea Ceptor) while the Ukrainian ones are equipped for MBDA MICA VL missiles.
I hazard to guess we may well end up with a variant of the Ukrainian one as the same missiles are also hardwired for the LCS. I stand to be corrected of course. Defence News has reported the Ukrainian two Ada class corvettes will cost around US$256 million (RM1.2 billion) though this may well exclude the cost of the missiles and other weapons.
With our luck we may end up without the SAM as RMN had envisaged the LMS Batch 2 without them, only fitted for but not equipped with.
— Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (55)
What is the point of the ships to be fitted for when there is no intention of ever installing the SAM? Won't it be cheaper to be just without? Savings in the system I would assume.
I thinks it’s unfortunately going to be the dreaded Fitted For But Not With variant. That’s so often it’s now the official policy….
The Ukrainian deal was for :
The first vessel will be delivered to Ukraine by the end of 2023 unfinished, to then be completed in Ukraine. The deal was signed in December 2020 worth $256 million.
Supposedly after the hull was launched, the ship is to bw towed to Ukraine and completed there. So that cost is hull+engines but without IPMS, radar, weapons, interior fitout.
Now the plan has been changed and it will be completed in Turkiye (the shipyard of the build is in the Mediterranean area)
As for the cost of the Pakistani ADA class corvettes - STM CEO Davut Yilma said in May 2017 that the cost will be $250 million per ship.
That is the cost. But when can we get the ship?
If based on PNS Babur :
Keel laid - 5/6/2020
launched - 15/8/2021
Commissioned - 23/11/2023
Let say if signed this year, at least a year to redesign to TLDM spec (Pakistani ship went from contract signing in 2017 to keel laid in 2020, nearly 3 years). That means keel laying in 2026. So an optimistic first commissioning of the LMS Batch 2 Corvette would be in 2029.
That is a very big possibility that all 5 Gowinds will be commissioned (LCS5 planned handover April 2029) before the first Ada class LMS Batch 2 Corvette will be.
And the main reason why we want LMS Batch 2 is because we need more hulls in the water right now.
This is still not mentioning what kind of fitout/weapons we will get for our USD175 million per ship budget. Or what kind of reduced performance if we insist on not having the gas turbine that the ADA class ship is designed to have.
Recently US Government presented their Fiscal Year 2025 (FY2025) budget. For the US Navy, they presented a 10 ship decommissioning list. Of that, there are 6 interesting (and young) ships to be decommissioned.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GIg-gOvaUAATfFw.jpg
Most probably those ships will be declared as Excess Defence Articles (EDA) and will be available for transfer for free/at cost. In all probability it could also be done as a "hot transfer", ie the ship can be transferred immediately after decommissioning (2024-2025).
There is 2x independence class LCS
LCS-6 USS Jackson
LCS-8 (typo in pic lcs-7) USS Montgomery
4x Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV)
EPF-1 USNS Spearhead
EPF-2 USNS Choctaw County Hall
EPF-3 USNS Millinocket
EPF-4 USNS Fall River
The Independence class LCS is the same type of ship that protected Petronas West Capella from Chinese Coast Guard harrassment in 2020.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GIhBxYnbMAAHQ7z.jpg
Hasnan "What is the point of the ships to be fitted for when there is no intention of ever installing the SAM"
The ada is already integrated with the same Sam that's in the gowind. So by being 'missing' it's either
1)RMN truly has no money for missile
2)RMN want a different SAM systems and are willing to wait for their preferred SAM.
Indonesian navy strategic plan (renstra) 2025-2029 plans for air warfare destroyers and large frigates.
With Prabowo now the new President, it will be sure that military spendings will be one of the priorities of Indonesian Government for the next 5 years.
Some of the ships being looked at includes FREMM Italy, PPA Italy, DAMEN Omega Netherlands, Navantia F110 Spain, Hyundai KDX3 South Korea, TKMS F126 Germany.
I think only the FREMM and PPA might happen. They cannot be buying every ship available..
With our luck we may end up without the SAM as RMN had envisaged the LMS Batch 2 without them, only fitted for but not equipped with.(malaysiandefence.com)
If it happens yet again, I will call these entities ie. MinDef and RMN 'STUPID AS' as Standard. What else should I call the idiocracy... Just tell them to buy a tugboat instead, not a warship minus all its weaponry!
Thr main issue right now is the current lack of ships to counter the encroachment by China Coast Guard.
If we really need a ship now, just yesterday Japan Coast Guard retired its patrol ship PLH21. If we need a ship ASAP, that ship would be available immediately.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GIoP2FNbgAAL0pe.jpg
The retirement ceremony
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GIsr13naMAAFKcK.jpg
The PLH21 is a 130m 5,000 ton patrol ship, commissioned in 1986. It has 130 crew, can carry 2 helicopters and a max range of 8,500 nautical miles.
These MILGEM for RMN will be weaponised..lock stock & barrel. Once LOA signed, the Turkish will start the steel cutting..meanwhile RMN & STM will discuss on FDR & CDR especially on the GT replacement in order to maintain the sp reqd..I believed it will only 3 yrs to commission ie well before LCS.
Hey, do Hisar Class OPV still considered as ADA class? Or just derivative? Cuz Hisar Class used Combined Diesel electric or diesel (CODELOD) and the tonnage is below original ADA
Technically, yes but I had considered the Hisar as well in an earlier article.
@ viper
" Once LOA signed, the Turkish will start the steel cutting..meanwhile RMN & STM will discuss on FDR & CDR especially on the GT replacement in order to maintain the sp reqd. "
PDR, CDR & FDR should be done before first steel cutting, especially on a major design change such as the GT replacement. A reason i feel there will be 1 year for all the design stages before the first steel is cut.
IMO if LOA is signed this year, steel cutting would be Q4 2025/Q1 2026 at the earliest (after 1 year of design stages).