SHAH ALAM: More details on KD Keris. KD Keris is the first RMN vessel to be fitted with the MTU 4000 series engines, says its commanding officer, Commander Mohd Zulkarnain Mohd Rawi. Although he did not say it is likely that the other three Littoral Mission Ships (LMS) are also fitted with the same engine.
Keris is also the first RMN ship to be fitted with two diesel engined boats which launched and recovered from the stern of the ship while it is moving. The boats could fit 10 sailors at one time.
It must be noted that most of the RMN fleet including the missile and gun boats and also the Lekiu and Kasturi class frigates are also equipped with MTU engines. Even the two oldest vessels in RMN service, KD Sri Perlis and KD Sri Johor are also fitted with MTU engines, though these are likely around 55 years old already.
The two MTU 4000 series engines on Keris, powered two fixed pitch propellors to a maximum speed of 22 knots. The ship is also fitted with three diesel generators and a single emergency diesel generators.
Mohd Zulkarnain, 39, is a former CO of KD Todak, an FAC (Gun) ship said the Keris is armed with a single 30mm CS/AN3 remote control gun. It is also fitted with two 12.7mm gun mounted on the deck area of the bridge. He spoke to the media after the welcoming ceremony for Keris at Sepanggar naval base, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, on January 17
The 30mm gun could be fired manually from the mount or remotely from the combat information centre. Keris‘s CIC is located behind the bridge, a layout similar to the Kasturi class frigates. Keris’s bridge equipment are a mixture of China and European with pinyin and English markings.
According to the RMN’s handout, the ship’s equipment include an air/surface radar, navigation radar, an eletro optical tracking system (EOTS), a combat management system (CMS) and an eletronic support measure (ESM). The air/surface radar, EOTS, CMS and ESM are manufactured by China’s Jiangsu Automated Research Institute (JARI). The navigation radar and scanner radar are from Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine.
Keris was built at the Wuchang Shipbuilding Industrial Group at Wuhan, China. Her first steel was cut on July 31, 2018, launched on April 15, 2019, delivered to RMN on December 31, 2019. She was commissioned into service on January 6, 2020.
For the moment, she will be home ported at Sepanggar naval base.
— Malaysian Defence
View Comments (30)
Thats all?
A 30mm n two HMGs?.
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They could always mount GPMGs too
Lightly armed but i think its good enough for starter..Not so ompong with radar,cms and esm albeit china made..
Hmm lets see...
1st time i see the CS/AN3 designation. Export designation of the H/PJ17?
As predicted most of the electronics is from JARI. Interestingly it also includes the ESM. If the system works and cost effective, can it be retrofitted to our other FACs?
On the 12.7mm HMG. Is that the Norinco CS/LM6? So now we got Ma duce from US, europe, korea and china?
BTW can you get more info on the RHIBs? Length, width, manufacturer?
As for the engines, just 2 MTU 4000 series engine? Even the smaller Damen FCS 5009 has 4 of those. Yes it would give operational cost savings, but still does not explain why its range is just 2,000 NM.
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I had close look at both 12.7mm guns but could not seen any markings so cannot identify them.
Marhalim, still no additional info on the modular system?
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China dont built them so I guess we are not getting them
I wouldn't mind these to be lightly armed but the lack of even a pintle mount LML manpads is really concerning
Can it be used against China?
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The maritime militia, yes, CG and PLAN it's too small and underarmed
Whilst it’s interesting in that we know more about its fit out; it’s also worrying that due to funds - or rather the lack of it - we were forced to go for such a varied solution. A Chinese CMS means that whatever Western we add later - if we do - will require integration and it remains to be seen what level of commonality these ships will share with follow on LMSs. On the modular systems from a technical viewpoint; we don’t have to integrate them to the CMS as they'll have their own self contained systems but this will be a regressive move.
Lest it be forgotten the whole idea behind the 5/15 is to reduce the RMN’s logistical/support trail.
@Lee Yoke Meng
What is important on this LMS concept aren't the weapons that it comes with but what modules that could expand the functionality and lethality of this ship class. If the modules ain't coming, this class is just another oversized and overpriced gunboat.
@Marhalim
"China dont built them so I guess we are not getting them"
That even more piques my interest to know which 3rd party modular system we had built into the ship.
@...
"So now we got Ma duce from US, europe, korea and china"
Ma deuce have been in production for so long I think its probably patent free by now. As I said before, we should look into reproducing Ma deuce ourselves as long we don't need to pay royalties and such.
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Based on my observation, I could be wrong, I am guessing Keris, at least, was not built with any modules in mind. They have to clear the area behind the bridge where the two 12.7mm guns and their armoured ammo lockers are located to put anything else there...
Thats too lightly armed for even a police boat. At least a 40 mm or a 75 mm super rapid gun.
With such light arms even the Sulu terrorist n kidnapers are not scared. Dont talk about china coast guard ships. At least arm the two HMG post with a 50 calibre Gatling gun or a 20mm Gatling gun
Kapal PC lama pon guna 40/70mm...dah ade yg baru sepatutnya pakailah 57mm or yg lagi sesuai..
Kalau macam ni baik serah je kat APMM je.
Ni bukan Standard kapal perang... lebih sesuai untuk halau bot nelayan asing boleh la...X - RMN