SHAH ALAM: The Auditor General (AG) has observed that the RMN has not achieved its aim to put into service new ships in its fleet based on the 15-to-5 transformation programme. The observation was made in its 2024 AG report made public on July 4.
According to the AG report, the RMN plan to have six LCS, ten LMS and two MRSS in RMK11 and RMK12 – the period spanning 2016 to 2025. However, RMN only took delivery of four LMS and the report stated the reasons for this.
Kelewatan penyiapan lima kapal LCS yang mana kapal tersebut sepatutnya disiapkan dan diterima pada tahun 2019 hingga 2022. Namun sehingga bulan Disember 2022, kapal tersebut masih belum diterima. Selain itu, Kerajaan juga memutuskan untuk mengurangkan perolehan kapal LCS
sebanyak satu unit.TLDM sepatutnya membuat perolehan 10 LMS di bawah RMKe-11 dan RMKe-12, namun hanya empat kapal LMS telah selesai dibuat perolehan dan diterima setakat 31 Disember 2022.
TLDM sepatutnya menerima dua kapal MRSS di bawah RMKe-12, tetapi perolehan hanya akan dilaksanakan di bawah RMKe-13 kerana kekangan peruntukan.
Unfortunately, the AG report did not give any recommendation to the government to provide the proper funding to ensure RMN gets new ships. It did state that:
Prestasi perolehan dan penerimaan kapal TLDM sehingga 31 Disember 2022 adalah tidak memuaskan kerana tidak dilaksanakan mengikut perancangan. Perkara ini boleh menjejaskan sasaran pegangan kapal di bawah Program Transformasi TLDM #15to5.
It said that the RMN had achieved its operational goals during the audit period though.
The report also stated that spare parts for ships worth RM384.49mil were not utilised, resulting in wasteful expenditure. The audit found that spare parts which were stored in Western Fleet supply Depot (DBAB) and Eastern Fleet Supply Depot (DBAT) were obsolete.
“DBAB had 1.62 million units of spare parts worth RM381.69mil, which was not utilised and the last utilised record being between 1969 and 2017.
“DBAT had 6040 units of spare parts worth RM2.8mil that were not utilised with the last used record being between 2017 and 2021,” it added.
The Defence Ministry and the RMN in its reply to the AG, stated that the spare parts were mostly for the PC fleet which were divested to the MMEA. The other spare parts were not utilized as the equipment on ships had been upgraded to other items.
— Malaysian Defence
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Hmmmm, not enough new ships eh? Why not build more of ‘something simple and hard to go wrong’ ships, namely the Tun Fatimah (Damen 1800)class for the RMN? Something like 12 ships would do.
To lower cost, doesn’t need to be heavily armed. A Bofors 40mm Mk4 up front and 30mm on the hangar would do. And maybe Marte Mk2/N anti ship missiles. Close in air defence maybe Mistral missile or the like.
These ships can even be first line defence if the urgency rises.
Unfortunately it’s not its purview but if it was the AG could ask the government why the RMN is in the position it’s in.
In the pic of Sri Sarawak we can see the L shaped breakwater in the background. Needed, especially during the Monsoon.
The defense procurement system needs a major overhaul. A body should be created that is responsible for all defense procurements & given its own access to funds. It has to be a professional body, no politician involved
@Zainal
“namely the Tun Fatimah (Damen 1800)class”
Oh really? So what happen to OPV #2 & #3 now? Still in their rusting modules at the foreclosed yard? If MMEA is having delivery issues with their OPV program, no way it can help in TLDM shortage conundrum.
The AG report doesnt shed any new light on things that we havent already knew. But what are we supposed to, that is whats missing from the AG which is sad. We highlight a problem but no solution, end up repeat the same thing every year.
Why talk about Damen 1800 or something like that now? It’s a non-starter and will be chucked aside or binned by the powers that be…
@Joe
Well Joe, Tun Fatimah class OPV for the RMN are supposed to be more of a better armed (large) patrol vessel. Maybe a foolproof design so we can float maybe 12 of them to show presence in SCSea.
That does not take the thunder away from both the Maharaja Lela and Ada class which are tier 1 surface combatants (in our envelope).
Meanwhile, back in real world the RMN could have enough new vessels to go round if the Kedah class were built to 27 units. MRSS and MCMV vessels are extras.
Qamarul – ”The defense procurement system needs a major overhaul. ”
Correction. Everything from how we view defence; to how we allocate funding; to the role local companies play; to how we handle procurement needs a deep rooted fundamental apolitical revamp.
Zainal – “Why not build more of ‘something simple and hard to go wrong’ ship
Actually it’s “why not have a more serious outlook on defence” and ask ourselves why we have a MAD we can’t afford to equip the way we’d like [even with our minimalist a bit of everything but not enough of anything stretched over a ridiculously long period approach] and one whose capabilities don’t reflect what we’ve spent on it .
Zainal – “To lower cost, doesn’t need to be heavily armed”
One gets what one person for. A ship not “heavily armed” would mean it’s only good for very low end threats.
Zainal – “A Bofors 40mm Mk4 up front and 30mm on the hangar would do”
You do realise that a 40 man gun will be useless for NGFS; will have no range and blast effect for anti surface work and won’t be useful for dealing with incoming ASMs …
Zainal – “And maybe Marte Mk2/N anti ship missiles. Close in air defence maybe Mistral missile or the like”
– Why Marte in particular?
-,A V-SHORADs mount is great for short range targets flying below 10.,000 odd feet but nothing else.
Zainal – MRSS and MCMV vessels are extras“
Those are classes which the RMN has more of a need for and places more importance on. The Kedahs are limited on what they can be armed with due to their design.
Zainal – “That does not take the thunder away from both the Maharaja Lela and Ada class”
– The Batch 2s are just as well armed as the LCSs but don’t forget they are still secondary type ships which are intended to perform roles which don’t require a LCS and at fraction of the cost.
– Adding another class when we already or will have LCSs and LMSs would be contrary to the 5/15 which seeks to reduce the number of different classes as far as possible.
Zainal – “ so we can float maybe 12 of them to show presence in SCSea”
RMN ships on EEZ patrols are intended to have both peace and wartime roles. If we intend a ship to mainly or solely for peacetime roles then it should be MMEA operated.
Zainal – “Meanwhile, back in real world”
In the “real world” the idea of having 27 NGOPVs was floated about 27 or so years ago and is a dead as Elvis or the Dodo. As it stands I’d be extremely surprised if a 7th NGOPV is ever constructed.
Taib – “Why talk about Damen 1800 or something like that now”
My thoughts exactly. The focus is on the LCSs and LMSs.
@Zainal
“Tun Fatimah class OPV for the RMN are supposed to be more of a better armed”
Aside which the OPV itself is now ratshit delayed for MMEA and thus couldnt have helped with padding up TLDM numbers anyways, how are they better armed vs say LMS2? Fundamentally they arent even designed for mounting SSM & VL-SAM.
Hopeless, kena cukai sikit dah melalak, minyak nak subsidi cos’ Malaysian think oil is flowing beneath our feet (according to some politician) the problem with LCS is Mat Sabu cut the funding cos’ of perceived corruption and he didn’t understand how navy procurement works navy ship building usually start concurrently not one by one, by the time project start over again years later the hull is rusty and technology already obselete and cost increase two fold , thanks to simple minded voters now it require more fund to finished it just like everything in Malaysia nowadays
We always have all sort of issue when comes to building thing and equipment locally. But yet we never learn frm past mistake. Good example Kedah class ship! Now Gowind. Someone else songlap the $$$ Navy get the Junk and Rakyat get Cheated again n again.
Check the new boat before put in service cause its tersadai for years in ship yard. Remember its wast a ketul besi buruk and now put into service.
As the RMN is looking for two hydrographic and four minesweepers, perhaps the Damen 1800 design could be modded into one – using remotely operated USVs of course. This is the new amended 15 to 5 which have not been ratified of course.
This got nothing to do with the MMEA OPV. Just using the same design as it had been shown that it could be build here. One 40mm gun in the forward position and aft. And perhaps the Mistral MANPADs launchers for self air defence.
As for the MMEA OPV it is up to the Home Ministry to get the money to get uncompleted ships to be finished.
Optimus – “We always have all sort of issue when comes to building thing and equipment locally”
Indeed we do but we hen we also have a history of major issues and delays with ships constructed abroad.
Optimus – “We always have all sort of issue when comes to building thing and equipment locally”
Even if not a single cent had been misappropriated; the programme would still have gone ratshit for reasons well known.
Rusdi – “hull is rusty and technology already obselete and cost increase two fold”
– The rust is not and never was an issue and will be sorted out.
– The bulk of the gear is not obsolete.
The MCMVs will not have an operesa or wire sweep but USVs and UUVs to deal with moored and bottom laid mines with the MCMV not required to be in the “minefield”. Ideally it will also have small UASs to aid in the detection and identification of mines. Presently each MCMV has divers to aid in the identification of mines and even to destroy them – with charges – if required. What the RMN is looking at is a purpose built MCMVs hull; given how happy we’ve been with our Lericis I’d be surprised if we don’t give some serious thought towards working with Intermarine again.
The idea was to privatise the survey role with the RMN retaining a basic capability in the form of small survey ships; i.e. BH1 and BH2.,
As it stands the RMN was never fully convinced – like some navies – that privatising the survey role and relying on modular MCM payloads would provide the needed capabilities.
@Optimus
LCS went FUBAR not solely due to coruption or songlap but due to the project was underfunded to begin with.
If you want to renovate your house to a RM 100k looking unit but you tell yourself RM 50k is enough, what do you think will happen when the contractor stops work at RM 50k and there is no more funds to continue? Are you gonna blame the subcons songlap money or they were stealing small scoops of cement for something else, that had doomed this renovation?
“Just using the same design as it had been shown”
Someone said that it was preferable that hydro & MCMV are from purposed design hulls rather than using a multipurpose one, similar that I had proposed the idea for LMS1 to be derated and repurposed via reequipping with hydro or MCMV modules. This would ‘release’ the LMS tag to be reactualise on a more appropriately sized & equipped class of ship.