SHAH ALAM: Rencong delivered. The RMN has taken delivery of LMS Rencong – the fourth Keris-class and the last – ship today at the Wuchuan Shipyard at Nantong City in China. The delivery and naming ceremony of Rencong – pennant number 114 – was done by the ship’s sponsor, Puan Sutinah Mohamad, the wife of the LMS Project team head.
The ship is named after a Kris class ship which was decommissioned in 2005. As her other sister ships, the China-made vessel she was named after a traditional hand weapon, Rencong. According to a release by RMN, work on the Rencong started on 18 September 2019, and she was launched on 16 December, 2020. It is likely like her sister ships, Rencong, her build and sea trials were delayed by the pandemic.
Rencong will joined her sister ships in the Skuadron 11 LMS at their base at the Kota Kinabalu Naval base in Teluk Sepanggar, Sabah.
The other three ships are KD Keris, KD Sundang and KD Badik. Keris was commissioned into service on January 17, 2020; Sundang on March 5, 2021 and Badik on October 22.
RMN release did not mentioned when she was expected to arrive in Kota Kinabalu, however. As she is already named and barring weather issues, it is likely she will arrived at the naval base after Christmas.
With her crew needing to quarantine for at least 10 days, her commissioning might well take place on the second week of January 2022. Hopefully the health situation is benign enough for me to go to Kota Kinabalu for her commissioning which I had promised to do after I attended tended the commissioning of the first vessel in 2020.
— Malaysian Defence
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Keris, Sundang, Badik and Renchong.
First batch completed,
well done.
@ZekMR
all of this is for you, congratulations on your new boats
LCS how, when?
2025 as the minister had said
Time to uparm these 4 ships
So far the only batch that have been completed.
We should order another 4 from the same shipyard but with better sensors and weapon suite. Chances are we could get it even before 2024 hahahs
Marhalim, do you know anything yet about the tender for the medium range ATGM?
With Omicron now spreading like the next wave, they should take extra caution and quarantine on the boat for at least 20 days.
We might as well order a corvette or frigate for that matter
Lee – ”to uparm these 4 ships”
The issue is if we fit Chinese weapons we add to our support/logistics footprint.
If we add Western stuff to a ship already fitted with various Chinse stuff it will be a major headache.
Important to note that as far as the RMN is concerned these 4 will be utilised for peacetime EEZ enforcement [the MMEA isn’t ready yet]. The more serious stuff will be the job of the next Batch of LMSs which the RMN is determined to get fully fitted with. Funds are tight and is precisely why for the RMN; arming the Kedahs is not seen as a good way to use funds in the short term.
Ah I read that wrongly, the first time around. It was cancelled. They instead bought new rounds of METIS-M
Noice..but need to order that s&r radio to replace oem radio right..any chances lms batch 2 project starting in the immediate future? And that kedah upgrade/mlu/slep?
Firdaus – ”And that kedah upgrade/mlu/slep?”
As has been mentioned before the RMN has no intention at the moment to do anything with the Kedahs apart from replacing stuff that is no longer supportable and maintenance/refits. The priority is LMS Batch 2s and money used elsewhere will soak up resources. What cash resources there are is being used for things seen as a priority.
To save costs and ensure economies of scale, shouldnt the 2nd batch lms should also come from the same provider ad the 1st batch?
New Métis M? Did Malaysia buy from other sources or Russia itself (CAATSA?). Was it the latest M1 variant?
Just the missiles, so not CAATSAed. Likely the A1s, though I have not been told the exact version. Parts and spares for things already in service will not be under sanctioned. If it was our Flankers will be grounded already
Technically yes but since the RMN feels the current LMS is not up to mark it is not bothered to do so. The MTU engines are commercial ones so parts are already available. As for the electronics and guns could be easily replaced if need be
kamal – ”save costs and ensure economies of scale”
The Batch 1s – as mentioned – are intended to perform peacetime roles. The RMN desperately needed them to ease some pressure of the overworked, aged and increasingly expensive/troublesome to maintain FACs. The Batch 2s are intended to be fully fitted out to have a wartime role. So what costs savings and economics of scale are you referring to?
kamal – ”shouldnt the 2nd batch lms should also come from the same provider ad the 1st batch?”
Seriously? Do you think the present economic climate is conducive for another
China buy? Also; unless we spend more funds and have as little Chinese gear as possible we’ll again face integration issues with Western stuff. Also; what makes you think the RMN is satisfied with the actual design of the Batch 1s; to the extent that it would want more of the same design. Note that when they were ordered it was a compromise; it was politically conducive to buy Chinse and the RMN was in a rush for additional hulls.
Off topic, at times like this suddenly we realise it would be nice to have a LARC-V like vehicle(s) to help with the flood. Something like 30 to 50 would be most welcomed.
@Marhalim
“RMN feels the current LMS is not up to mark”
If the engine is not the issue and weapons & electronics can be easily replaced, what are the discontent of TLDM on Keris? Size of the boat? Layout? Deckspace utilisation? Or seakeeping in rough open waters?
It’s combat capability, basically they need a sea going combat boat. Not another patrol boat