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• Just speculating here, does the revision of the contract which resulted in reduce price may be connected to intellectual property/tot and/or type of electronics used?

  Reply
  IP and TOT most likely

• Don't take delivery until all the defects found on Keris are rectified on the remaining sister ships.

• from the latest info

  the schedule is

  KD Sundang - before end of 2020

  LMS 3 - May 2021

  LMS 4 - August 2021

  BTW Marhalim, there are conflicting information from you. Which one is the correct designation for the 30mm RWS?

  Is it CS/AN3 or the one you wrote in your earlier article CS/AN2?

  Reply
  CS/AN3 based on the release at the delivery of Keris. Its September 2021 for LMS 3 probably November 2021 for LMS 4

• These ships for lawan penyeludup, lanun and possibly the sulu invaders ok latu

• @ kamal

  If only for lawan penyeludup, lanun; that should be the main tasks of MMEA ship, not TLDM. To lawan the sulu invaders, a more potently armed and armoured ship (not necessarily need to be larger or even as large as the current LMS) is arguably needed, that would be nimble and be able to take the fight to swarms of small and fast boats.

  The LMS costs so much more than the MMEAs larger DAMEN OPV 1800 and just similarly armed. Not the most prudent use of the limited defence budget that we have, but clearly not as bad as other procurements.

  Reply
  The only good thing about it was the construction of the ships. If not for Covid it is likely by mid of next year all four will be delivered. Yes I am aware of the problems reportedly on them but as for keeping to the schedule it's one of the best, even with the pandemic

• Hopefully Maharajalela will be in service as early as 2022

  Reply
  Unlikely

• off topic

  Just look at how big and tall is this so called "medium" tank, the FNSS/Pindad Harimau.

  http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Q7l7Q2yxeg/X5vlCyBWzQI/AAAAAAABQIY/IYyTOsqdrBsHrjrXdxhJ8gnxWJJXLY5vwCLcBGAsYHQ/s717/2._Kunker_Wamen_BUMN1_%2B%25281%2529.jpg

  Compare to the much more heavily armed and armoured PT-91M

  http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_usjBMLJ9mLw/R1QZS1UbhCI/AAAAAAAAAhc/Qn6QuQsjFp0/s1600-R/kol+kamarul.jpg

  IMO if we want (or can afford) additional tanks, we are better off getting more PT-91M or its variants, rather than getting a medium tank. The Harimau for example, have a basic armor withstanding 14.5×114mm AP, with 30mm protection just in the front arc. It costs at least USD6.75 million each. Each of our PT-91M costs about USD5.9 million each.

  With PT Pindad not winning the recent Philippines medium tank tender, it is not sure if the order would be more than the initial 18-20 tank order by TNI-AD, or they will arm all the 15 cavalry battalions in KODAMs with Harimaus, which would total around 400 units.

  ToE (ideal) of TNI-AD armoured formations (excluding mechanized units)

  for KODAM
  15 cavalry battalions (tracked+wheeled, one for each KODAM)
  1 cavalry battalion (wheeled)
  14 cavalry company (independent wheeled)

  for KOSTRAD
  3 MBT battalions (Leo2RI)
  3 cavalry company (independent wheeled)

• @ marhalim

  " Yes I am aware of the problems reportedly on them but as for keeping to the schedule it’s one of the best, even with the pandemic "

  Any projects will have problems. Its how they handle them and countermeasures taken to mitigate the problems. So far the MMEA OPV project is going smoothly if not exactly on time as per planned. So that is one of the proof that we can execute a project well.

• Well if more cost effective solutions then the Bagan dato class kot. Only about rm60mil each bit all most similarly armed as lms plus got uav some more. For same budget as lms, can obtain about 15 hulss or so... To fight smugglers pirate and suluk I say

• Kamal - “These ships for lawan penyeludup, lanun and possibly the sulu invaders ok latu”

  These ships will perform a variety of peacetime roles. They are urgently needed as the RMN is short of hulls and the hulls it has (the FACs and Laksamanas) are getting increasingly troublesome to maintain due to age. Yes the RMN intends in eventually having fully fitted out LMSs but it’s priority not is new hulls ASAP to meet current operational obligations.

  There are no “sulu invaders” ....
  The Lahad Dato saga was in 2013. Since then the bulk of intrusions have been by actors/groups doing it for monetary gain - some by Abu Sayaf people and some by people who work independently (with links to the MNLF) but will later “sell” hostages to Abu Sayaf.
  It’s not as if there are non state actors who roam the common sea boundary looking for trouble or intent on lancing on our shores for political reasons.

  If (a major “if”) the Kirams intent on causing trouble again they won’t be making a repeat of 2013 because it went horribly wrong for them and doing it again the same way would be playing to our strengths. As it stands the main issue we’ve been facing are non state actors doing what they do for “pera” (cash) - they have no intent/reason to go out looking for trouble (e.g. the LTTE’s Sea Tigers) as it defeats the whole purpose of what they’re trying to achieve - make money ...

  In the Straits of Melaka it’s a slightly different story but also involves money. The people who cross the boundary to tax” our trawlers wear uniforms. Another issue is our trawlers sometimes cross the boundary to buy fish from their trawlers (yes it happens) which can be sold here for a profit.

  BTW a traditional operating area for “lanun” is the Gulf of Siam. The “lanun” often wore uniforms.