SHAH ALAM: KD Kasturi – pennant number 25 – was officially delivered to the RMN by Lumut Naval Shipyard (Lunas) on January 14, some three years after she went into a routine refit. It was so long that she went into refit with Boustead Naval Shipyard and came out from another yard, Lunas.

And during that time, RMN had three chiefs – TS Reza Sani and TS Rahman Ayob and the current one Admiral Zulhelmy Ithnain.

RMN’s Markas Logistik Barat on social media:

So what was done on Kasturi that it took so long to conduct a routine refit. I have no idea really as RMN has never disclose the scope of its ships refit or even SLEP. But from the tenders published in Eperolehan one could surmise that delays were likely due to the work on the ship’s main engines, generators and gearboxes.

It is interesting to note that when Kasturi and her sister ship – KD Lekir – pennant number 26 – underwent their SLEP in mid-2000s, they only overhauled the main engines (four MTU diesels), generators and gear boxes (Renk). Some things were replaced during the SLEP but these items were not. As the ships are around 42 years-old it is expected that the main engines, gearboxes and generators will cause the most issues.

As it is the two ships are expected to serve until 2015 at least.

— Malaysian Defence

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