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.
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View Comments (47)
3 years ago was when LCS fiasco was at full tilt, I suspect the financial problems of BNS had a major part of the delays like not able able to procure replacement parts for the refit and with the War in Ukraine, buying military hardware from Europe will incur a longer wait now as they prioritise production orders going to the Ukraine cause. So it was a matter of bad luck & bad timing it went in for refit & then the delays happen.
On that note. "to serve until 2015 at least."
Err really?
That was the original plan anyways. Will it change in the next few years? I have no idea. Anyhow, the ship spent three years in a routine refit, think it is good for another 10 years. If they do not sent in KD Lekir for routine refit next, RMN may well retire them both by 2030, five years away...
" As it is the two ships are expected to serve until 2015 at least "
Back to the future?? 😁😁😁😁😁
Anyway, IMO the Kasturis (and the lekius) would be ideally passed on to APMM as OPVs when TLDM receives all its Gowinds and Turkiye Corvettes by 2030.
Converting the kasturis to OPV just mean ripping out all the complex CMS electronics, radars, missiles, and sail the ship as is. With new engines, it could operate as an OPV for at least 20 more years.
Just keep them around until all the LCS, LMSB2 and LMSB3 are operational. keep in mind that we only had 4 missile capable ships rn and china is getting bolder with their incessant intrusion in our EEZ
Adding 8 large new ships (5 gowind + 3 turkiye corvettes) by 2028 will need a substantial increase in manpower. Unless existing ships is retired and manpower transferred to those new ships.
Incidentally we have 8 old frigates and corvettes (2 lekiu, 2 kasturi, 4 laksamana) right now...
@Hulu
"ideally passed on to APMM as OPVs"
Ideally? They spent the last 3 years in refit. Ideally MMEA would turn them into coral reef, if they are going to be saddled with such costly & lengthy refits. Even if this new one is good for another 10 years and TLDM were to use for 5, MMEA would only have a mere 5 more for use at most. You would still smell the MMEA white paint by the time these needs to be fully retired. They would rather spend their efforts to get both OPV #2&3 back on track than running down these old boats.
@dundun
"Just keep them around until all the LCS, LMSB2 and LMSB3 are operational."
Thats the plan simply because TLDM has no other choice. Lekiu class arent doing too well either.
Didn't we severely lacked ship?
Why retire our most capable ones first?
Why we still using this ancient ships,our neighbors already keel laying Merah Putih Frigate (based on U.K type 31)and our red dot neighbor also with new MRCV not to mention their new subs . We just keep life-extension or SLEP or whatever programs just to keep voters happy (cos' they don't cost a lot of money) despite having largest annual budget ever approve
in history (suspect large chunks of it goes to subsidies especially fuel so to keep their simple minded voters happy) that's why we can't have a good thing here in Malaysia just envy or neighbors from afar
#KitaNakPerangDenganSiapa
@ joe
I don't expect you not to understand about refits when you know much about truck rebuilds...
That thing has completed an extensive refit, not in a condition to need an extensive refit. So it is in a condition to be able to be used for many years to come. The only concern it will have in the future is that those complex electronics onboard (tacticos CMS etc) will become obsolete, but that is not an important criteria in being a simple OPV.
" From this angle, the Thales MIRADOR electro-optical sensor on top of the bridge is missing "
In its place it looks like a huge searchlight has been installed... Need to have more pictures of the bridge from other angles.