Rehulling or Replacing The Indera Saktis?

SHAH ALAM: Rehulling or replacing the Indera Saktis. Since the last two decades, the RMN has publicly announced that it wants to replace the two Indera Sakti multi purpose command ships (MPSS) with the more advanced multi-role support ships (MRSS). And despite claims of the need to replace this 1980s ships with newer ones, RMN seemed destined to operate the Indera Saktis – KD Sri Indera Sakti and KD Mahawangsa – for another decade, at least.

On July 1, the RMN issued a quotation notice to conduct testing on the structural integrity of the hull and decks of both ships. The specifications stated:

Pemeriksaan Ketebalan Struktur Dan Dek KD MAHAWANGSA Dan KD SRI INDERA SAKTI
a. Melaksanakan Pemeriksaan Struktur kedua-dua kapal di bahagian dek/geladak kenderaan merangkumi ketebalan dek/kerangka (frame), scanting dan girder berdasarkan Ship Classification Society. b.
Menganalisis hasil kajian pemeriksaan dengan menggunakan software/kaedah yang bersesuaian agar mendapat informasi yang kredible.

Ujian Bebanan Pada Dek KD MAHAWANGSA Dan KD SRI INDERA SAKTI.
a. Melaksanakan Pengujian Kekuatan di bahagian dek/geladak kenderaan berdasarkan berat muatan dan kelajuan kapal semasa pengoperasian. b. Ujian kekuatan adalah berdasarkan kepada keadaan
laut dan di mana kapal tersebut dioperasikan (Pesisir, Tropika, Beaufort Scale dan lain-lain). c. Ujian di atas perlu dilaksanakan sebanyak 2 ulangan (kali) berdasarkan kelajuan (minimum dan maksimum).

The results of the work stated above must be forwarded to the RMN within 21 days and the full complete report must be completed within 90 days of the contract awarded. It is unclear, however, the reason for the survey. It may well the RMN planning to rehull the two ships or at least do some work to ensure the ships(just like the FACs) are still capable of doing the same job they had since their commissioning in 1980 and 1983, respectively. Or they could use it to justify the need for new ships in the next five years so (as if that has not been plain obvious in the last 10 years).

Anyhow, I was told long ago, the Indera Saktis were among the first items to be procured for the Armed Forces via the middlemen mafia. Apparently it went so well, we have been doing this for the last 30-odd years or so.

In other news, as reported last week, Senior Defence Minister DS Hishammuddin Hussein inaugurated the RMN Kota Kinabalu air station, the 503 and 601 squadrons on July 1. Only two of the three AW139s are with the squadron at the moment, with the third one coming this September.

— Malaysian Defence

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