SHAH ALAM: Defence Minister DSU Mohamad Hasan had more to say in Parliament yesterday about the LCS apart from what was reported earlier. As Parliament has yet to publish its official Hansard (statement) Malaysian Defence had to rely on what was reported by Air Times again.
The report said the Cabinet will have to give its approval for the SAM system before it is procured. Mohamad also raised the possibility that another type of SAM could be procured instead the MBDA VL MICA.
Menteri Pertahanan, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan hari ini menyatakan misil pertahanan udara (Surface-to-air Missile, SAM) untuk Kapal Tempur Pesisir (LCS) akan memerlukan kelulusan oleh pihak Jemaah Menteri.
“Bagi perolehan SAM, belum ada dalam kontrak lagi,” katanya semasa menjawab soalan di Dewan Rakyat, hari ini.
Beliau menambah, perolehan tersebut akan memerlukan kelulusan kabinet.
“Kita akan buat dan kita akan memerlukan kelulusan kabinet untuk memperolehi dari OEM mana dan jenis,” katanya.
Beliau menambah, perolehan sistem persenjataan lain seperti misil anti permukaan sudah pun dilaksanakan.
“Kita akan lakukan apabila dapat mengenal pasti sistem yang mana yang baik yang terbaik
yang boleh diletakkan di atas LCS tersebut,” ujar beliau.
This is of course, nonsense, as BNS has already procured the MICA launchers, as Malaysian Defence has posted on various occasions. The missiles has not been bought as the government has dithered about it since 2011. (Lethal weapons must be bought by the government as in the case for the NSM anti ship missiles). For the sake of argument – I am not infallible – even if BNS has not bought the MICA launchers (it has) then the shipyard would have to spend more money to integrate the new SAM system into the LCS (apart from paying for the missiles and launchers).
From the PAC report, integrating new systems on board the LCS – SSM, IPMS and decoy – were the reasons that the cost of the whole project had gone up beyond the RM9 billion price ceiling. Also from the PAC report, we also know that a former RMN chief fought long and hard to get another SAM system (ESSM) but in the end, BNS decision to buy the MICA was upheld by the then Prime Minister.
Apart from the cost issue, if BNS has not bought the MICA launchers, the shipyard must also find a way to seal part of the hull which were cut to accommodate the VLS launchers. And recut it if the government buy another SAM system. The Gowind 2500 -of which the LCS is derived from – was from the start designed with the VL MICA in mind. And we have not talked about the torpedoes for the LCS.
So, the cheapest option for the government is to allow BNS to install the MICA launchers and not buy the missiles, which is the current situation, really. This means we are following the Fitted-For-but-Not Equipped With – concept as with the Kedah class. Which means that the LCS is not fit for purpose in the first place.
— Malaysian Defence
View Comments (44)
Am Not Sorry for saying so...this current government is in Purgatory
Aster is more expensive than then MICA
Changing the SAM is kinda expected. It one of the reasons I can think off that lead to Mat Sabu issuing a stop order and H20 meeting with the French gov for an 'agreement'.
The high cost of weapons integration is probably why Najib didn't agreed to RMN request before and why the politicians class are still dragging their feet around till today.
Personally if the RMN fought tooth & nail long & hard for something then it's probably important. While ESSM may not be cheaper or more capable then a MICA NG. It value is in it networking, interoperability & interchangeability as well as access to US/OZ stockpiling. probably.
@Taib
Correction. The current Govt is Hell, we are in Purgatory.
"Aster is more expensive than then MICA"
Haven't stop the Government before from selecting a more expensive option, just because it is "different". Tho in all probability, the FFBNW option leaving the launchers empty is most likely what will happen, what with the incoming global recession and the apathetic attitudes of rakyat & politicians whom would rather care about inflation and high Cost of Living such that EPF withdrawals became a hot topic.
Zaft - " I can think off that lead to Mat Sabu issuing a stop order"
Incorrect. It was largely due to the EU decision on palm oil.
Zaft - "The high cost of weapons integration is probably why Najib didn’t agreed to RMN request"
Incorrect. It was due to politics of the day and other reasons. Not because of integration issues. ESSM was also the prefered choice for the Lekiu Batch 2s. I'll give you hints; ESSM can only be bought via FMS and the French applied pressure.
Zaft - "It value is in it networking, interoperability & interchangeability as well as access to US/OZ stockpiling"
Something you've actually got right but not the "networking" part which is also achievable with Mica.
"integrating new systems on board the LCS – SSM, IPMS and decoy – were the reasons that the cost of the whole project had gone up beyond the RM9 billion price ceiling."
Integrating new systems is a given so cost of integration should have been factored into the overall project cost, so once again it is clear the decisionmakers back then had hid the true cost of the whole thing and would have likely intended to issue supplementary budgets to cover the shortfall money. So comes back to my assertion years ago that the real cost of this build could not realistically be RM 9Billion from the get go.
As I had posted repeatedly no one really knew the cost of the whole project when they started it. RM9 billion was the limit that the Finance Ministry officials was prepared to pay for it. Note it's the ceiling price, they were not supposed to go above it.
I only include possible technical & monetary issues rather than politics as it is rather unquantifiable & thus put it in the realm of speculation while different people would see/remembered/interpreting things differently.
For example is stopping LCS as a response to palm oil issue is beneficial to us as a country or just an unpopular gov trying to distract public attention away externally for their own benefit?
On a personal view. As much as I didn't like the current DPM, I had to admit that At the time of LCS approval political speaking we ain't likely gonna buy anything American nor neither we nor the American are looking to expand existing relationships. So I doubt the French even need to apply pressure.
Even OZ at that time were diversifying away from US with shortfin baraccuda,NH90 & tiger. So the decision to get gowind back then wasn't wrong nor the subsequent geopolitical change & thus the need to change its effectors are wrong either.
The Americans were always looking to expand their relationships with other countries. No, we were not trying to distance ourselves when the LCS was in the early stage. It was BNS decision to buy the Gowind design that resulted with most of the systems selected from France. Nothing political about it, it was just about money.
Oz like us had the illusions that they could build up their own local industry. And it was the French who gave that option.
No one in public would know the whole REAL cost, yes.
But the decision makers are either dumb enough to not know or find out, or refuse to know, or knew but chose not to reveal. Integration cost is real just as lifecycle maintenance costing, but when the Govt chose to be "creative" and leave out certain costs to be hidden, you darn well surely can see they "knew something". Or its these monies allocated that went into a certain Dee Pee Emm pocket.
Zaft - "I only include possible technical & monetary issues rather than politics as it is rather unquantifiable"
You include whatever you want but try to get the facts right rather than insist on things clearly/plainly untrue. BTW politics and "technical & monetary" issues go hand in hand and is certainly not "rather unquantifiable" as you claim.
Zaft - "thus put it in the realm of speculation"
I don't deal in speculation. If I don't know or am uncertain I'll say so but if I say something I damn well make sure that it's accurate. If anything a lot of things you've said here and elsewhere is speculative and driven by personal but incorrect impressions.
Zaft - "For example is stopping LCS as a response to palm oil issue is beneficial"
In response to something inaccurate you claimed; I pointed out that the EU decision played a big part with regards to Mica - common knowledge. Your claim that "The high cost of weapons integration is probably why Najib didn’t agreed to RMN request" is pure utter nonsense ...
If you know anything about Mahathir you'd know that delaying Mica in response was typical of him. You old enough to remember the "Buy British Last" campaign? You aware of the politics at play behind a lot of what we've bought it is that "rather
unquantifiable" too?
Zaft - "So I doubt the French even need to apply pressure"
You can "doubt" till Armageddon comes but I know for a fact that they did apply pressure and even my 5 year old nephew knows the French can be very uncooperative with regards to non French stuff going on French ships, planes, etc.
Zaft - "So the decision to get gowind back"
Thanks for the revelation but the way we went about it was highly flawed, like the whole system and as you know Gowind wasn't the RMN's main choice.
Zaft - "subsequent geopolitical change"
Which exists in your mind no doubt but not in reality. In reality there has been no "geopolitical change".
zaft - '' political speaking we ain’t likely gonna buy anything American ''
Make the effort to understand that one reason we don't buy American is because certain things can only be sourced via FMS and under FMS there is no place for agents....
zaft - ''Even OZ at that time were diversifying away from US with shortfin baraccuda,NH90 & tiger.''
It never ceases to amaze me how you come up with some of the things you do; forming the conclusions you do and stating them confidently as if they were true. Australia was not ''diversifying'' as you put it but merely sourcing stuff which it needed but for various reasons could not or did not want to source from Uncle Sam.