SHAH ALAM: Missile firing exercise, updated. The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has deleted its Facebook posting on the missile firing exercise in the Straits of Malacca next week.
Malaysian Defence had reported earlier today on a post on the MMEA Facebook page which says the RMN is to hold the exercise from Apr. 2 to Apr. 5. It says the exercise is to be held in waters some 21 nautical miles west off Penang with an exercise area of 30 square nautical miles.
A graphic of the NOTAM posted by APMM on Facebook page, which has been deleted.
The post had stated that marine vessels and also aircraft to avoid the area during exercise. Despite the deletion of the post it is likely that the exercise will go ahead as schedule as a NOTAM has been registered with the Marine Department.
The Marine Department NOTAM page list has an entry for “Firing Exercise At Butterowrth Offshore Penang” posted on Mar. 27. The notice only stated a firing exercise is to be conducted by the RMN from Apr. 2 to 5. The coordinates seemed to be the same as indicated by the graphic posted earlier by MMEA. It also advised mariners to avoid the area and those in the vicinity to navigate with extra caution.
As a side note, the area reserved for the exercise is a common range used by the RMN and RMAF, likely to be inherited from the British. It is a very short distance for the units flying out from the Butterworth airbase. It is likely that the posting was deleted as it included a graphic which showed the range in a manner that even laymen like us could pin point the exact location. In comparison, the map coordinates like the one in the NOTAM posted by Marine Department, requires more work to determine the location.
What I wrote earlier..
The RMN itself has not issued any statement but it is likely that this will be the 2018 version of Eks Angsa, a joint exercise conducted by the navy and RMAF. That said this could be just another RMN readiness exercise which seems to be all the rage nowdays
KD Lekiu launching a Sea Wolf SAM in an exercise in 2014. TLDM picture.
As for Eks Angsa the last one conducted in the Malacca Straits was back in 2012 where the Exocet and Sea Skua missiles were fired from KD Lekiu and a Super Lynx helicopter, respectively. The 2012 exercise was a tri services one with the Army and RMAF joining the navy. RMAF F-18Ds fired Maverick and Harpoon missiles.
Two years ago, the exercise was held in Sabah.
A RMN Super Lynx firing a Sea Skua missile. RMN
It is likely that the Lekiu and Kasturi class ships will be involved in the exercise as they are the only RMN ships known to be carrying missiles, the Exocets (both class) and Sea Wolf (Lekiu class only).
One of the two B515 triple torpedo launcher on KD Kasturi as seen in early 2014. These torpedo launchers were taken from the Laksamana class. Picture by Malaysian Defence.
Perhaps they will also include torpedo firings from the frigates as well. The Army might also be involved as back in Eks Angsa 2012, the Astros MLRS also conducted live firings from the Tanjung Antu range near Lumut.
An MLRS firing rockets at an exercise.
* The MMEA deleted the post as off 8pm Mar. 27, 2018.
* This post has been updated with the NOTAM from the Marine Department and to dispel any notion that this is a new range.
— Malaysian Defence
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Off topic
Universal Avionics, a supplier of cockpit display systems for the nuri upgrade program is to be taken over by Elbit Israel.
Will this affect the Nuri upgrade? Or would it not be an issue like the JHMCS for the hornets?
If not, there is still plenty of very cheap unwanted EC225LP out there for just usd4.5 million each.
Reply
They could find another supplier, easily. Is there any issue with the JHMCS?
Well Marhalim, there is currently no issues for TUDM to use JHMCS even if it is designed by Elbit and made by Elbit joint venture.
BTW the Universal avionics suite is the backbone of the nuri avionics upgrade. It consists of four EFI-890H screens are used, along with the Universal’s UNS-1Lw MMMS (multi-mission management system)
As something that is extremely important to the safety of civilians, and as an organisation with ISO9001 certification, proper notification release and cancellation by MMEA should be done.
A proper release of why the NOTAM is cancelled should be clearly notified to all, not just delete the NOTAM without giving any reasons.
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I think they deleted the post as they were informed about it only and was not supposed to publicise it
I wonder… is this a common exercise area? or is it meant to send a signal to Penang… given what’s coming up in a few months…
Reply
It’s a common training area…sheesh…
Chua,
We can safely say that if the government wanted to send a political message to Penang; there are easier, more practical and much cheaper ways of doing so rather than a live fire exercise.
Along with the South China Sea; the Straits of Melaka is regularly used for exercises and live fire. A few years ago a NOTAM was issued for a live fire exercise involving the MKMs in the Straits of Melaka. .
Off topic
Croatia has choosen to buy 12 secondhand F-16C/D from Israel.
– 12 aircraft. To fly 100hours each per year. Total of 1200 flying flying hours per year.
– To supply 12 aircraft (10 single and 2 seater), flight simulator, personnel training, initial armament, spare parts, technical support services, tools and equipment for flight support, infrastructure adaptation, and transportation of parts and equipment according to a defined schedule. Total cost of USD500 million.
– The planes will be delivered with a resource of 3000 effective hours, which, according to professional projections of use in Croatian Air Force, will be sufficient for the next 25 years.
Off topic
Indonesia is planning to replace its Hawk 109/209 starting 2020.
The candidate to replace the Hawks are the KF-X or FA-50.
That pic of KD Lekiu above has dents all over the vessel’s upper hull. Is that normal?
Out of context but when is the decision on MPA due?
Reply
No idea
@ xan verda
Yes normal.
xan vreda: the dent is normal for metal ship tolerance.
Btw, is this the same areas as when ASTROS was fired out to sea?
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No, as I mentioned in the story the Astros firing range is in Segari, near Lumut where the RMN also regularly conducts live firings, guns and occasionally missiles. They cannot conduct exercises at the same location all the time