SHAH ALAM: Museum Ship of the navy. KD Hang Tuah has been formally declared as the museum ship of the navy in a ceremony at the Lumut naval base on Nov. 21.
The ceremony is part of the RMN 15 to 5 transformation plan. Under the plan the navy will reduce the number of ship types from 15 to 5. Unlike other ships, Hang Tuah will not be decommissioned but instead will keep it’s commission but will now be known as a museum ship from today onwards.
The ship will berthed at the RMN jetty at the Lumut naval base until the new navy museum also located in Lumut is completed.
The RMN has also launched its first drone squadron today. The squadron will operate the Boeing Insitu Scaneagle 2 UAV. The Scaneagles were gifted by the United States under the Maritime Security Initiative programme.
Apart from Malaysia the US has donated the Scaneagles to Philippines and Indonesia under the same programme, this year.
The two Scaneagle systems are to be delivered next year. A standard Scaneagle system composed of a launcher/receiver; a command and control system and three air vehicles. Previously, Deftech operated the Scaneagle UAV under a contract with the Defence Ministry. The contract, operated in the ESSCOM AOR, lapsed without being renewed after all air vehicles were lost in accidents.
– Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (37)
Our beloved Prime Minister Tun Dr.Mahathir had asked for Russia's President Vladimir Putin's help in repairing Malaysia's MiG-29N and Su-30MKM fighter jets. Since Russia had expressed desire to upgrade the MiG-29N to MiG-29SM fighter jets back in 2017, it is only plausible to say that the MiG-29N and Su-30MKM will be repaired and upgraded by Russia soon. Hopefully the F-5 Tiger fighter jets will be upgraded to the Super Tigris specification like what is being done by Thailand. And it would be prudent to upgrade the Hawk and Aeramachi light fighter jets too. The F/A-18D Hornets can be upgraded to F/A-18E Super Hornetm And the 4.5+ generation MiG-35 multirole fighter jets can be bought from Russia as it is very affordable given Malaysia financial status at the moment.
What is our airforce is doing to preserve its history? What is the plan for the sungai besi airforce museum and its historical artifacts? Any plans to preserve at least 1 nuri or the MiG-29?
So what will happen to KD Rahmat? If its a tourism project can tourism ministry also provide funding for maintaining and marketing it at the appropriate cost and location instead of in Lumut. (Look at Sydney Maritime Museum for example). Theres absolutely no need to divert limited funding to a tourism cause unless it is a profitable venture overall.
@ sundra anand
Are you for real? Most F-5s has been passed to universities, museums and placed as gate guards. Super tigris upgrade is 100% with israeli components. Probably you are in your own alternative reality where malaysia is not a majority muslim country?
F/A-18D and super hornets has totally different airframes. It is like saying 1985 proton saga can be upgraded to 2018 proton saga (if you are malaysian you will get this)
How many Scaneagles make a squadron, Marhalim? Will they be used on the LCS? Indonesia got 4 and the Filipinos 6 under the same MSI from the US. I will say probably 4 for us too!
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No numbers, actually. But the standard Scaneagle system, is one launcher/receiver, one control system and three air vehicles. The release by the navy today says they got two Scaneagles, so I am assuming it's the numbers above
"F/A-18D Hornets can be upgraded to F/A-18E Super Hornet"
Err. I don't even know what to say except facepalm berkali-kali.
Sundra Anand - Sorry to burst your bubbles but the Fulcrums, Tigers and Aermacchi have got to go. For good.
You can't upgrade Legacy Hornet D (2 seaters) to Super Hornet E (1 seater). It's a different machine altogether on the inside.
Hawks have recently been upgraded.
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Not really on the Hawks
its not 1985 saga to 2018, its more like 2018 Altis. just take a look at the air intake. so to ruskie again? lest we forget mh17 ? Please, no
@sundra anand
we should convert the laksamana corvettes into ford-class aircraft carriers and the pendekars into icbm launchers.
@Alpha Zulu
What's the alternative? Cut out Russia forever?
I'm not saying "Go Russia" straightaway yeah. Just asking, how do we propose to tackle the Russian enigma?