SHAH ALAM: Fast Attack Craft KD Pendekar pennant number 3513 which sank on August 25 has been refloated on October 12. RMN said in a release dated October 13 stated the ship was refloated at 4.38pm.
According to the RMN, the ship will undergo minor repairs before being handed over to the service. It is likely the repairs will allow the ship to be put on a barge or towed for berthing before a final decision is made on the next course of action. The nearest RMN facility is in Tanjung Pengelih naval base, located some 40km south by road.
From the sole picture, provide by the RMN, it appears that her main mast had broken off. The salvager – not identified – could have also taken off the mast to make it easier to reloat it.
“The location of the shipwreck is now confirmed to be safe and there are no ammunition or explosives that could threaten the safety of the maritime community, especially those who often use the waters.
“The future of the ships that are over 45 years old will be decided together with the ‘Phasing In-Phasing Out’ plan of obsolete ships that are still in service as a whole in line with the Alignment of the 15to5 TLDM Transformation Plan,” according to the statement.
Pendekar sank on August 25 after striking an underwater object, her crew managed to escape safely. Three days later, a navy diver Leading Seaman (1) Arman San Hermansa drowned while conducting salvage operations on the wreckage.
SIARAN MEDIA 13 OKT 24
𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐒𝐈 𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐕𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐊𝐃 𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐊𝐀𝐑: 𝐊𝐀𝐏𝐀𝐋 𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐉𝐀𝐘𝐀 𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐏𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐊𝐀𝐍
Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) mengeluarkan kenyataan seperti berikut:
KD PENDEKAR telah berjaya diapungkan kembali pada jam 1638H, 12 Oktober 2024. Kapal kini sedang menjalani pembaikan awalan sebelum diserahkan kembali kepada TLDM.
Operasi salvage KD PENDEKAR pada dasarnya telah dapat diselesaikan walaupun terdapat beberapa cabaran. Lokasi di mana kapal tersebut karam kini disahkan selamat dan tiada tinggalan peluru atau bahan letupan yang boleh mengancam keselamatan komuniti maritim khususnya yang sering menggunakan perairan tersebut.
Masa hadapan kapal yang berusia lebih 45 tahun tersebut akan diputuskan bersekali dengan rancangan “Phasing In – Phasing Out” kapal-kapal usang yang masih di dalam perkhidmatan secara menyeluruh selaras dengan Penjajaran Pelan Transformasi TLDM 15to5.
Punca dan faktor-faktor terlibat yang membawa kepada insiden tenggelamnya KD PENDEKAR masih sedang disiasat oleh Lembaga Siasatan.
Sumber : Bahagian Komunikasi Strategik, Markas Tentera Laut
— Malaysian Defence
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Unfortunately there is just 1 picture of the salvage operation, so i cannot identify the crane barge involved. KD Pendekar is just around 250ton displacement, so it can be lifted out of the water by crane rather than refloated.
It also seems that they did not manage to dismantle the GEM Elettronica EOFCS115A in prior salvage dives. No idea if that electronic system can be made usable after quite sometime underwater.
Lets wait for the future fate of the ship. Previously we have seen KD Pari completely submerged at Pulau Layang-layang be made operational again…
The camo scheme on the FIC reminds me of a similar pattern we use to have on the FACs long ago. Having camo applied to ships which operate in the littorals makes sense; the Swedes have long applied camo on various ships.
… – ”Previously we have seen KD Pari completely submerged at Pulau Layang-layang be made operational again…”
Highly doubt it; after being immersed in saltwater for several weeks.
The RMN will have do do some soul searching; why a CO who has been trained for DC exercised poor judgement in abandoning his ship prematurely; rather than taking steps such as isolating the flooded area area and other things. The universal opinion of everyone – including some who have been in a similar predicament – is that the ship could have been saved. No doubt; it was unexpected and people were in shock but COs are trained for this. The ship sank gradually; not like with Perak when she took on a lot of water in a short period and was sinking fast. One thing’s for sure, the former CO’s career is over.
… – ”Previously we have seen KD Pari completely submerged at Pulau Layang-layang be made operational again…”
Partially or fully submerged? This ship was completely submerged.
Pari was fully submerged as well. That said she sank while berthed at Pulau Layang-layang (due to the misalign shaft) and not out in the open sea.
She rises back from the dead! Altho I doubt she will be afloat back in service, her age and lack of usefulness now works again the old stalwart. Might as well cut her up and do indepth investigation what actually sunk her. If we really want a lesson to learn from, preserve and put her (in all the cut up state) for display in a covered museum.
“If we really want a lesson to learn from”
What lesson would that be? She wasn’t the first to experience a mishap, merely the 2nd to be lost at sea.
“Might as well cut her up and do indepth investigation what actually sunk her”
They don’t have to “cut her up” to get to the bottom of what sank her. They already know what sank her and why she sank. What they might have to do is look at the level of training given a ship CO did not do what he was trained to do; ensuring various actions were undertaken before issuing the abandon ship order.
“her age and lack of usefulness now works again the old stalwart”
Cash, to replace the engine, gearbox, circuitry and about everything else which is a write off; will be the prohibiting factor.
“They already know what sank her and why she sank.”
Really now? Then its of national interest that what caused her to sink must be shared in the news media. After all her sinking was put on the front page of the media so the public demands to know. That is a lesson to learn from all the future TLDM is it not?
“Really now?”
Yes “Really”.”
” Then its of national interest that what caused her to sink must be shared in the news media”
Until a formal investigation I’d concluded nothing will be released. BTW she hit an underwater object which dislodged a shaft. That led to the.rapid entry of water into the engine room which spread to the rest of the ship. That’s what caused her to.sink …
” the front page of the media so the public demands to know”
There are no dark forces engaged in a conspiracy to deny the public the truth.
“That is a lesson to learn from all the future TLDM is it not?”
There always a lesson to be learnt but in this case the most pertinent question why a CO did not do what was prescribed by his training; training which all COs and crews receive and practice for.
“BTW she hit an underwater object which dislodged a shaft”
So what is that mysterious underwater object? A reef? A wreck? A conning tower of a unsub?
which is the same thing which happened to KD Pari – a dislodged shaft which led to the flooding – although it was said that she is maneuvering rapidly against a foreign ship. Checking the Pusmas records, it appears her captain only left the ship once the repairs were done. Still likely his career floundered after.
” A reef? A wreck? A conning tower of a unsub?”
Unlikely it was a reef as reefs don’t move; the waters are well surveyed and well travelled. Possibly a log. Almost certainly not a conning tower of a Penang based U Boat transported back from time.
All ships have stuff like timber, portable pumps and other things for DC. All crews train on the DC simulator at Lumut. The pertinent question the service will have to ask is why a CO didn’t do what he was trained to do.
The CO untimely bears responsibility for his ship, even if he’s on leave and something happens whilst its moored at its base and is not his direct or even indirect fault. The CO of Inderapura had his career prematurely ended. So did the COs of Hang Tuah and Perak, although a court marshal absolved them of certain things. BTW this was not the 1st time a ship had hit an underwater object, merely the 1st time a ship sank because it hit an underwater object. The general concensus amongst the community [most of who have faced similar emergencies at sea] is the CO could have done more to save his ship. A former Chief of Navy gave some good observations on X after reviewing the footage and pics.
A neighbour, who used to be a ship driver, told me that his PC once ran onto a log and they had some damage. As he expected a bollocking, he came back in the middle of the night to Lumut. In the morning, after checks, showed little damage, they fixed it up quickly and sailed away before the IC was aware what had happened. He said floating logs were a constant menace when they were at sea.
Logs are also a major problem in East Malaysia; especially for CB90 hills which are more prone to damage.
A log would be plausible if the damage supports the theory and which should be made known in public, as it would absolve the hit on the captain.
Like Japanese, the most honourable would be for its captain to go down with his ship.
Hitting a log is not a sacking offence, it happens frequently. However, when a ship sank, due to it (or any other reason) all bets are off. Even though the CO will take the most blame, every other officer on board will also carry that record for their career. Going down with the ship without any fatal wounds, is considered suicide.
“which should be made known in public
It will be made known after the investigation is concluded. No dark forces at work conspiring to hide the truth. Whether it was with Pari, Perak, Inderapura or with the LST collision with the Jap ship; the facts are made “public”.
“as it would absolve the hit on the captain.”
His career is not over because he hit something but as explained; how he handled the situation. Abandoned the ship early and not doing all he could to try save it.
“Like Japanese, the most honourable would be for its captain to go down with his ship.”
They tied themselves to the bridge. Downside is that experienced officers were lost. Not all COs chose to go down with their ship. Going down with ones ship is also not exclusively a Japanese thing. The CO of the Graf Spee shot himself after giving scuttling orders.