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 โ after Royal Towns โ the former Decisive will be named KM Kota Bahru. MMEA locally built OPV โ KM Tun Fatimah โ was originally supposed to be named Kota Bahru until decided to change it to her current name.
โMalaysian Defence
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View Comments (25)
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?
Nope but it is what it is...
i hope MMEA can put to sea these 2nd hand vessels as long as reasonably practicable,considering they're oldies.
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?