SHAH ALAM: The keel laying ceremony for the first out of three MMEA OPV is expected to be held this December. It will be held at the THHE-Destini shipyard in Pulau Indah, in Port Klang.
Industry sources told Malaysian Defence steel cutting for the first OPV is already underway in Singapore and it was a matter of time before the prepared materials are shipped to Port Klang for the building process to start.
For those unawares, we also sourced and cut steel for both the LCS and NGPV projects – overseas as Malaysian steel producers do not make steel for ship-building. In the case of the LCS and NGPV, the steel were sourced and cut at two different manufacturing plants in Holland.
By getting the steel from a plant in the region, THHE-Destini would have reduce the cost for the OPV somewhat.
As reported previously, the ship will be built to the Damen 1800 OPV design. However, unlike 1800 design, the MMEA OPV will not come with a hangar for an embarked helicopter. It can land and refuel helicopters up to an AW139, however, as well as UAVs. No decision has been made on the UAV. It will be fitted with four Caterpillar diesel engines with two screws for a design speed of 20 knots. And It will be 83 meters long and crewed by 70 personnel. It will be fitted with the Aselsan SMASH 30mm RWS on the A deck,two GPMGs on both sides just behind the bridge and a 50 caliber gun facing aft above the helo deck
If indeed the keel laying ceremony is held this December, this will mean the project will start ahead of schedule as at LIMA 17, THHE-Destini officials said that it will start early next year.
This will be a boon for the workers at the shipyard at Pulau Indah which seemed rather deserted during a recent visit.
* this is an updated version of the post. The original post stated that the keel laying will be held in November but it has been pointed out that this will be done in December, as per the contract.
— Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (31)
IMO for coast guard, i prefer quantity over quality.
Congratulations to MMEA.
Hopefully this will be followed up by 2nd batch of the NGPC too.
BTW marhalim, a clearer picture of the OPV
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Thanks for the link. We will have to see whether the NGPC second batch is funded in the budget to be announced later this month. I know money is tight but I think there is enough money to fund at least two new NGPC for 2018. If the government could fund two NGPC every year until 2030, MMEA could retire all of its old patrol boats
really hope there will be more ships after this batch soon to the point there will be no used vessels in MMEA inventory either from TLDM or foreign agencies
Marhalim,
My sources tell me that the helideck is designed to land an EC725.
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Yes one of the CGI of the 1800 OPV shows a Super Puma on the helideck
Meh,
Why not both? For slightly cheaper than the LMS, my sources tell me that the MMEA will be getting a larger ship with much longer range and endurance, making the ship capable for extended operations if needed, outfitted with the same weapons as the LMS, i.e. 30mm RWS as A-gun (although no search radar, ESM and CMS), modern Integrated Bridge System based on dual Ethernet, helideck with modern HVLA system, stern launch system with RHFB, en-suite toilet modules for nearly all cabins with European standard furnishings for the accommodation, state of the art integrated communications system, UAV, rugged hull of mild steel instead of high tensile (much easier to repair), equipped with a Fast Interceptor and jet skis, AHRS plus standard gyro, etc. etc. etc.
Good deal, if you ask me....
IMO the new MMEA OPV's can do almost similar peacetime tasks to the Kedah class.
Now the question is, with the MMEA, what tasks can the TLDM reduce, and what tasks can it increase?
I can see mundane daily patrol duties to be tasked more to MMEA. TLDM to increase ASW capabilites, fast littoral strikes (denial and anti-denial of busy choke points in melacca straits and langkawi archipalego), mine countermeasures and infantry support in littoral areas (CB90s, Landing crafts, LPDs).
Api69 "Good deal, if you ask me…." " (although no search radar, ESM and CMS),"
Good deal, or gold plating? I would think the ship should have a search radar.
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They will have nav radar
Off topic- looking at new pics of Op Pasir we do have units still wearing the harimau belang and using the M-16/M-203.
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Yes they do
AM,
Again, my sources confirm that the vessel will be fitted with 2 radars, an S-band and X-band, with capability for helicopter tracking. The MMEA does not really need a surveillance radar as the gun is a RWS with its own tracker. If the MMEA fitted a 40mm gun or bigger, then a surveillance radar and CMS would be necessary. In any case, a surveillance radar is simply a glorified, upgraded X-band. And why would the MMEA need an ESM?
Remember that the MMEA is essentially getting 3 ships for the price of 2.
Thus, good deal....
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It must be noted that as I mentioned earlier, the LMS cost more than the OPV as it is fitted with a CMS and a search and attack radar.
Marhalim,
There is a gap of usd 12 million per ship between the MMEA OPV and TLDM LMS (OPV usd56mil, LMS usd68mil)
A suite of high end 3D radar (like smart-s of the gowinds for example) + CMS could be bought with a budget of usd 12 million. So it does not explain how TLDM ends up with a 700ton chinese ship while MMEA gets a 1800ton european designed and locally built ship. Is high tensile steel costs 2.5 times as much as mild steel?
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I am just telling you what I was told. The LMS is also to be licensed built by Boustead perhaps the extra money is to pay for that privilege