SHAH ALAM: LMS Batch 2, Its Turkiye. Defence Minister DSU Mohamad Hasan told Parliament today that he will be going to Turkiye soon to negotiate the procurement of the Littoral Mission Ship Batch 2. He said that the Prime Minister had ordered him to go Turkiye to speak with his counterpart and the country’s defence procurement to register Malaysia’s interest to purchase from them the LMS Batch 2.
Prime Minister DS Anwar Ibrahim when presenting the 2023 budget on February 24 announced that the LMS Batch 2 procurement is included in the Defence Ministry’s allocation. In the post, Malaysian Defence stated that the LMS Batch 2 will be procured from either Turkiye or South Korea.
From Air Times:
KUALA LUMPUR, 8 Mac – Menteri Pertahanan, Datuk Seri Utama Mohamad Hasan menyatakan beliau akan ke Turkiye bagi mengadakan rundingan dengan pihak kerajaan negara itu berhubung perolehan Kapal Misi Pesisir Batch 2 (Littoral Mission Ship Batch 2, LMSB2).
Menurut Tok Mat, perolehan LMSB2 adalah dibuat melalui urusan kerajaan dengan kerajaan (Government-to-Government).
“Saya diarahkan oleh Perdana Menteri untuk pergi ke Turkiye. Untuk berunding dengan rakan sejawatan saya dan juga agensi pertahanan negara di sana untuk kita mendaftarkan interest cadangan kita,
“Dan kita lihat bagaimana perundingan ini boleh kita buat segerakan agar perolehan LMSB2 dibuat secara telus yang mungkin,
“Kita tidak akan menggunakan 3rd party tetapi urusan antara kerajaan dengan kerajaan,” katanya semasa menyampaikan Penggulungan Belanjawan Tahun 2023 (Peringkat Dasar) Kementerian Pertahanan di Dewan Rakyat.
Beliau menegaskan adalah penting untuk memastikan Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) dapat LMSB2 dalam keadaan baik dan tepat pada masanya.
Menyentuh keputusan kerajaan untuk memperolehi LMSB2, Menteri Pertahanan menyatakan ianya adalah satu keputusan yang tepat pada masanya.
“Keputusan Kerajaan memperuntukkan bajet bagi perolehan LMSB2 ini merupakan satu keputusan yang tepat,
“Ini memandangkan keperluan TLDM untuk menambah aset maritim baharu bagi memastikan kedaulatan dan keselamatan maritim negara sentiasa terpelihara,” katanya.
Menyentuh kelengkapan persenjataan LMSB2, Menteri Pertahanan mengesahkan ianya akan dilengkapi dengan dilengkapi misil anti permukaan dan misil anti udara.
Tambahnya, penambahan LMSB2 akan memperkasakan lagi keupayaan TLDM dalam mempertahankan kedaulatan dan keselamatan maritim negara. -airtimes.my
From the report above, the Defence Minister did not identify the ship to be procure though it is likely to be the Ada class corvette to be chosen. Why? It fits the bill for the LMS Batch 2 as specified by the RMN – a ship about 80 to 99 metres in length and equipped with surface-to-surface missiles and anti-missiles apart from its other armaments (76mm main gun and 30mm guns).
More importantly, Turkey is building them currently for export customers including Pakistan and Ukraine. Perhaps, we could even get Turkiye to persuade Ukraine to pass on to Malaysia the first of four Ada-class corvettes already launched last December. It is not like Ukraine can use the ship for its intended purpose now. Ukraine can use the money we paid for the ships to buy other weapons that could be delivered to the country. That said it could be more expensive than getting Turkiye to built our ships from the ground-up though it will cut the delivery time to RMN by three years.
That said it is still not clear whether Turkiye is the only option or whether the government will be looking at other countries as well. China is unlikely though even though it can offer us the cheapest options.
— Malaysian Defence
View Comments (42)
It was always either going to be Turkey or South Korea and not Germany with a Meko A100 derivative as certain others speculated. The good news is that we've done away with nonsensical notions of local production. Not that BNS is in a position.
Another good news..Thanks..BTW Mr Marhalim..is there any official news or statement about the delivery of seven (7) 8x8 Volvo recovery vehicle and three (3) (if I'm not mistaken) 8x8 Scania XT R460 HEMTT? Just noticed the news in socmed.
Rock - three (3) (if I'm not mistaken) 8x8 Scania XT R460 HEMTT?
Before this Marhalim has posted about this procurement. If I'm not mistaken, Army received it with the new RBR-7 RPG from Serbia and some other stuff
Alhamdulillah hopefully not just 3 till the end. sikit-sikit lama-lama jadi bukit.
Well as you said, Marhalim, the more the merrier. But going with a direct nego doesn't that mean an abrogation of Anwar's statement about future purchases thru open tenders?
Or has the tender already completed and nobody was informed about the selection?
Trying to get the Ukraine corvettes would be bad idea, the CMS & mainly other systems are unfamiliar to us, the 1st boat is being fitted out with US weapons (ie Harpoon) which we will need to get Congress approval to buy as part of the ship or else a costly strip and replacement plus integration with ASM of our preference.
And just because we went with a foreign shipbuilder, still doesn't mean we will agree to full constructed in their OEM yard. If BNS unable to get their acts in order, there are other yards around (*looking at Destini & THHE...).
If its GtG agreement not need for open tender, just need the RFI/RFP. No lah, the Ada-class are designed from the start with the Havelsan Advent CMS which is also fitted on the Ukrainian boat. They have already done integration with the Harpoon and ATMACA missiles. The ATMACA missiles are from Turkey so it's simply just putting them into the ship. I think for the first of three of class it will be done overseas, perhaps the follow-on ships will be done locally. Destini has just small yard.
It says register interest. At ministerial level without a formal RFP issued, its more like go speak with counterpart and see what Turkey can offer (e.g. as a package, industry ToT, financing, local support, enhancing industry collaboration, etc). A similar engagement with the Koreans would be expected if not already during the LCA deal.
''which we will need to get Congress approval''
Which will not be hard [unlikely though that we'll order it] to get given we already have Harpoon and that we're not in Uncle Sam's bad books so to speak. If anything they'd be happy we're buying American. Ideally the class would be armed with NSM but as always integration and certification issues would arise.
'' still doesn’t mean we will agree to full constructed in their OEM yard. If BNS unable to get their acts in order''
As it stands the intention is to get all 3 constructed abroad and if the ships are ordered BNS will not be involved as it's via another local yard.
kel - ''It says register interest.''
A political decision has already been made to buy the Batch2 s from that Turk yard.
kel - ''A similar engagement with the Koreans would be expected if not already during the LCA deal.''
Any ToTs; offsets, etc, has already been worked out with KAI who has BTW said Malaysians will be at the KAI plant to monitor production [as is commonplace]. The good news is we didn't go with the offer for local assembly.
hi Marhalim. Did you read the latest news about Kuwaiti\'s used F/A 18c/d? Turns out we did sent out letter of inquiry to them about 3 times already but got no answer from them so far. This revelation from our current Menhan gave us a bit of hope that the plan to acquire those F/A 18c/d would prevail.
Yes I saw it, I am waiting for Hansard before writing about it
Knowing Malaysian styles. no need lah the "ToT" whatsoever.. it will just throwing out unnecessary tax payer money... It will be better is we include the "Maintenance Specialty" to the G2G contracts.. andd special price for parts and replacement..
"GtG agreement"
Wasn't what Anwar has committed to. GtG doesn't help to prevent controversy as the Scorpene buy had shown.
"Havelsan Advent CMS"
Is a system we never had nor used prior. Integrating that with our existing armory for Exocet or NSM will be added cost. Adas also use a different engine powertrain that TLDM prefers (RENK instead of MTU). Integrating MTU engines will add further costs.
"intention is to get all 3 constructed abroad"
Intentions can always change as what Mahathir did with LMS1.
"BNS will not be involved"
With the privatisation, BNS will be a Govt owned yard so it has vested interest to give it work as part of national policy. Of course the more likely candidate would be another yard with the mess BNS is in, but stranger things had happen. THHE yard, currently in progress with 83mtr OPV, could likely fit the LMS2.
"Malaysians will be at the KAI plant to monitor production"
Yeah in other words paid by taxpayer holidays to Korea. Some might even stay long enough to pickup Korean wives.
@Mr. Hyde
If you know Malaysian style, TOT will always be top of the list.
Much of the controversy over the Scorpene was due to the selection of the sub-systems and later on the training contract which was not part of the GTG.