SHAH ALAM: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency is getting closer to getting an ex-US Coast Guard cutter as the Home Ministry secretary-general handed over the letter of acceptance for the ship today.
Apart from handing over the LOA, the secretary-general Ruji Ubi also signed an MOU between Malaysia and the US, with the US Ambassador to Malaysia Edgard D. Kagan. The MOU is for the cooperation against trans-national crimes.
The release from the Home Ministry:
๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ก๐๐๐ง๐๐ก๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ก๐๐จ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐ก๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ง๐๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ก ๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ก ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ง ๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐จ๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐จ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ง๐๐ฅ
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๐ฃ๐จ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐, ๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐ด๐ผ๐ โ Majlis Menandatangani Memorandum Persefahaman Antara Kerajaan Malaysia dengan Kerajaan Amerika Syarikat Mengenai Kerjasama dalam Bidang Jenayah Rentas Sempadan dan Penyerahan Surat Penerimaan United States Coast Guard Cutter telah berlangsung di Hotel Le Meridien, Putrajaya, pagi tadi.
Memorandum Persefahaman itu telah ditandatangani oleh Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Dalam Negeri, Datuk Haji Ruji bin Haji Ubi dan Duta Besar Amerika Syarikat, Mr. Edgard D. Keagan dengan disaksikan oleh Menteri Dalam Negeri, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution bin Ismail.
Pemangku Ketua Pengarah Maritim Malaysia, Laksamana Madya Maritim Datuk Saiful Lizan bin Ibrahim hadir mewakili Maritim Malaysia bagi menyaksikan majlis tersebut.
Turut hadir ialah Timbalan Ketua Setiausaha (Dasar dan Kawalan) KDN, Datuk Mohd Zamri bin Mat Zain, Ketua Pengarah Imigresen, Datoโ Ruslin bin Jusoh serta tetamu-tetamu kehormat yang mewakili jabatan dan agensi di bawah KDN.
The release did not mention the name of the cutter to be handed over to MMEA and its delivery date. Malaysian Defence has posted previously it may well be the cutter Decisive which decommissioned from the US Coast Guard last year.
in a Facebook post by MMEA today (November 8) it was stated that the agency had look into absorbing at least one ex-US Coast guard cutter (an American term for this kind of vessel). This was mentioned in a post on the retirement ceremony for Rear Admiral Maritime Aminuddin Abdul Rashid.
The post stated that among his achievements in the MMEA were that he was the team leader for a suitability study on absorbing the US Coast Guard cutter โ USCG Decisive. It stated that this will create a wider collaboration with friendly forces either locally or abroad.
Checks on the US Coast Guard website showed that Decisiveโ a Reliance class cutter โ was laid in 1967 and commissioned in 1968. She was decommissioned from US Coast Guard on March 2, 2023, after a 55-year service.
I am guessing we have to wait for updates when the ship will be delivered. My guess, it will be mid-next year as MMEA has not announced the project team for the delivery. If they followed the naming convention of donated OPVs – after Royal Towns – the former Decisive will be named KM Kota Bahru. MMEA locally built OPV – KM Tun Fatimah – was originally supposed to be named Kota Bahru until decided to change it to her current name.
–Malaysian Defence
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As per my comments before
https://www.malaysiandefence.com/one-ex-us-coast-guard-cutter-coming-next-year/#comment-882131
” Along with the USCGC Decisive (WMEC-629), another 3 WMEC Medium Endurance Cutters will be laid-up by mid 2024, USCGC Confidence (WMEC-619), the USCGC Dauntless(WMEC-624) and the USCGC Dependable (WMEC-626) ”
So there will be 4 WMECs available
There are also some OPVs available from Japan Coast Guard. One of them is this ship :
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GLo54nRaAAAWrIe.jpg
https://www.malaysiandefence.com/its-the-ada-class-which-one/#comment-893161
The PLH21 Fuso is a 130m 5,000 ton patrol ship, commissioned in 1986. It has 130 crew, can carry 2 helicopters and a max range of 8,500 nautical miles.
I hope at least we can get 2 this type of ship from USCG.
Is it a good choice yo get 55 years ship to continue serve for another 10 years maybe?
i hope MMEA can put to sea these 2nd hand vessels as long as reasonably practicable,considering they’re oldies.
Nope but it is what it is…
Any updates on the OPV #2 & #3, on the yard?
The ship to be passed to APMM is confirmed to be USCGC Steadfast (WMEC-623)
https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3666088/us-coast-guard-cutter-steadfast-decommissioned-after-56-years-of-service/
USCGC Steadfast was decommissioned on 1 Feb 2024.
She was first commissioned in USCG on 7th Oct 1968, which makes it more than 57 years old before commissioned into APMM early next year. She was originally powered by both diesel and gas turbine engines before the gas turbine removed in 1992.
Currently WMECs that has been decommissioned or in special status (basically decommissioned but crew is still attached to the ship but seconded to other ships)
WMEC-619 Confidence (special status)
WMEC-623 Steadfast (decommissioned)
WMEC-624 Dauntless (special status)
WMEC-626 Dependable (special status)
WMEC-629 Decisive (decommissioned)
Marhalim,
There is also talk about a MMEA flagship in the works. Do you have any details?
It is basically will be a similar ship which was tendered before but cancelled.
The retired Japan Coast Guard ex-PLH-21 Fuso can easily become the APMM flagship, rather than buying an expensive new ship.
Commissioned in March 1986.
130m length
Hangar space for 2 helicopters
8,500 nautical mile range
Designed specially for SAR and NEO (Non-combattant Evacuation Operations)
Current
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GLo54nRaAAAWrIe.jpg
When in service with JCG
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GIoP2FNbgAAL0pe.jpg
As for other possible OPVs that can be had from JCG :
Currently JCG is building 4 more Kunigami-class OPV for JCG, to be completed by 2027. This ships are probably to replace 4 ex-ojika aka KM Pekan sisterships.
The 2 OPV passed to APMM was also replaced with Kunigami-class OPV carrying the name and pennant number of those ships (PL-01 Oki and PL-02 Erimo)
Nope better get new ships for MMEA.Flagship should be mpss that have helipad,lockup,fuel provision to refuel other MMEA Ships and have the endurance to stay in the frontline for a long time say a month..two of them will just do.They better finish that two remaining opvs cuz let be real Tun Fatimah alone are not enough.Hell even 3 of them still doesnt cut it..After 3 of them are done maybe go for the like of tae pyung yang of Korea cuz sam-bong class is kinda overkill for us
Speaking of which about that two remaining 1800 OPV? what about their progress as of now? how about their delivery timeline?
Seems like pinoy CG would acquire 5 vessel from Japan that’s more or less the equivalent of MMEA mothership at around half a billion ringgit each.
@ firdaus
The frontline aka the edge of our EEZ is 200 nautical miles (370.4 km) from our coastline. why would you want to operate small boats in those area?
The 130m PLH-21 Fuso could easily be parked at our EEZ edge and be there just on gensets for more than a month.
@ darthzaft
The Philippines Coast Guard new OPVs are variants of the Kunigami-class patrol vessel of the Japan Coast Guard.
To get 20 large OPVs by 2040 (as per written down in PPSMM 2040), what we can realistically do
RMK12 2021-2025
– complete all 3 DAMEN 1800 OPVs
– get PLH-21 Fuso
– get 2-4 WMEC cutters as stopgap use (to 2035 at most)
RMK13 2026-2030
– pass 6x Kedah class OPV to APMM
– get PL-03 Kudaka and PL-04 Yahiko (KM Pekan sisterships)
RMK14 2031-2035
– buy 3x new OPV (tae pyung yang class?)
– pass 2x Kasturi class to APMM
– pass 2x Lekiu class to APMM
RMK15 2036-2040
APMM large OPV fleet 2040
– 1x Fuso class flagship
– 3x Tae Pyung Yang class
– 2x Lekiu class
– 3x Tun Fatimah class DAMEN 1800 OPV
– 6x Kedah class MEKO 100 OPV
– 3x Pekan class OPV (ex JCG)
– 2x Kasturi class
– 1x KM Arau (training ship)
MMEA are only taking very aged ships out of urgency & necessity rather than a want, so they wont want to be saddled with long ageing and heavily used boats more than they need to be. The way forward for MMEA is for more new ships.
Seeing as Bagan Datuk class had been largely smooth (except the Fulmar usage), its better to make more batches, even to extend it to more yards that can simultaneously produce.
@ joe
there is a very big difference between keeping old warship in service and keeping an old patrol ship in service.
There is no expensive CMS, missiles, complicated radars, FCS to upgrade to the latest specs so not to be obsolete.
An OPV just needs a good hull, good engines, a navigation radar, a few guns and it is good to go. and of course painted in white.
all the ships that i propose to be transferred are way younger than those WMECs (commissioned in 1968)
– Kasturis are mid 80s
– PL-03 and PL-04 ex JCG are mid 90s
– Lekius 1999
– Kedahs are 2006-2010
Strip the kedahs, kasturis, lekius of their complex CMS, FCS, radars, missiles etc. they will be transformed into good OPVs.
As for bagan datuks, it is a strange design (high superstructure) due to the UAV requirement. As there is no UAV requirement, why continue with that design? I would prefer this :
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GIY1AD-bQAA0GGg.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FeE4gayXgAsGfFR.jpg
This is the FCS 4008 Patrol built by DAMEN Antalya Turkiye for Romanian Border Guard. It would be a perfect ship for next batches of NGPCs.
Specs
Length โ 41.2m
Top speed โ 30 knots
range at TOP SPEED (yes not a typo) โ 2,800nm. Yes it can run around chasing others at 30 knots for 2,800nm
This is also the same platform for UK Royal Navyโs XV Patrick Blackett, a R&D ship for future naval warfare systems.
Compare to current bagan datuk NGPC specs
top speed โ 24 knots
range โ 2,000nm at 12 knots cruise speed.
The FCS 4008 Patrol design would be a good choice to replace all the ex PX, ex PZ, ex bahtera, ex Bay class ships of APMM. To have proper project management and to leverage the economy of scale, building of these FCS 4008 patrol locally could be slotted into PETRONAS Project Safina, which is a project to locally build 100 OSVs of different types for PETRONAS contractors in the next 5 years
BTW
Both shipyard that build the bagan datuk and DAMEN 1800 OPVs has closed down.
Which is why i propose
1) pick a ship design
2) give the project to PETRONAS, slot it into Project Safina, and be build by PETRONAS approved shipyards and project managed by PETRONAS.
https://www.bernama.com/en/news.php?id=2239272
@Hulu
“a few guns and it is good to go”
You need a CMS or at least a FCS to fire that gun, it aint spray & pray anymore. An old ship is still an old ship, will have mechanical reliability issues, ie engines & transmission, bilges & pumps, steering, etc. Something that old also may not have enough spareparts.
“An OPV just needs a good hull”
Which is why unlike a military warship, new civvie DC specced ships for MMEA wont be that expensive as the weapon loadout wont be too high as well. Basically we can afford to get new. And the idea to get more BDs is because its the class that was completed with least problems, so we are confident to pass it onto another yard. This unlike OPV or newer design.
“Both shipyard has closed down”
IINM Destini(that did the BDs) is still around, the one that was doing OPV is a JV with TH which was bought over later.
Nah that two remaining tun fatimah sisterships must be finished by hook or by crook one way or another cuz the block for both ships are already being bought.Still MMEA want MPSS as their flagship/mothership that doesnt really have to be at the edge of our eez border but close to it.
LHDN is trying to take over the Destini shipyard due to tax issues.
“LHDN is trying to take over the Destini shipyard”
To be clear this is not the yard doing the OPVs right? Thats another kettle.
@Firdaus
Indeed but if there is a legal tussle, it will be prolong nightmare like Gagahs.
This is the yard that built the Bagan Datuk class.
20 years ago mmea like other regional Coast guard was establish to give a friendly face to a potential conflict to avoid it to turn militaristic. But that ship had sailed and it had become militaristic already. I mean we used to have 2 ish surface combatants and now we are building 8.
So u don’t really think more OPV for MMEA is high on the gov agenda. They are currently wet for more surface combatants and fighter jet.
MMEA got it worse now as it is now part of KDN which has a lot of agencies fighting for the same money. That said when it was under the PM Department it also hard to get funding.
… – ”all the ships that i propose to be transferred are way younger than those WMECs (commissioned in 1968)”
No doubt but the most pertinent questions continue to elude you : will the MMEA want them? The MMEA wants to reduce not enlarge its footprint and is only currently getting aged ships due to a lack of alternatives. The Kasturis are old and are getting problematic; yet you assume they would be ideal for the MMEA? As for the Kedahs; as has been discussed multiple times; by the time the RMN is ready to bin them they will be aged… Whether the MMEA will actually want them is the key question you have yet to ask.
… – ”The frontline aka the edge of our EEZ is 200 nautical miles (370.4 km) from our coastline. why would you want to operate small boats in those area?”
Spot on chum! That’s also exactly the reason why the RMN has no requirement for an oiler…
… – ”There is no expensive CMS, missiles, complicated radars, FCS to upgrade to the latest specs so not to be obsolete.”
Yes but you missed the part about the hull, engines, shafts, generators, electrical systems and a long list of other things which still need upkeep … As it stands the RMN has certain issues with some ages ships; yet the MMEA [a smaller less resourced entity] suppposedly won’t?
… – ”they will be transformed into good OPVs.”
On paper but in reality they will cost a bomb for the MMEA to run and as they age further they will cost more to run … As it stands even operating costs for the RMN is an issue; yet you seem to think the MMEa will have no issues with these aged hulls. BTW my personal definition [no idea about yours] of a ‘good OPV” is a hull which suits the particular requirement of a user and one which does not cos an arm and leg to run.
zaft – ”20 years ago mmea like other regional Coast guard was establish to give a friendly face to a potential conflict to avoid it to turn militaristic.”
What? To put in simply; a non military agency to perform certain peacetime constabulary roles and one which is also intended to have certain wartime roles.
zaft – ”So u donโt really think more OPV for MMEA is high on the gov agenda.”
Absolute bollocks. Like many other things there are paper plans awaiting funding.
nimitz – ”i hope MMEA can put to sea these 2nd hand vessels as long as reasonably practicable,considering theyโre oldies.”
Well, the question of how much a hull produced in 1968 will cost to run compared to other hulls and how much time it will spend at berth undergoing maintenance/repairs seems to be missing from the narrative.