Page 27 - ADT MARCH / APRIL 2024 Digital Magazine | GBP
P. 27
Man portable short-range fire-and- and surface-to-surface missiles. Missiles, twin Mk.32 torpedo
forget anti-tank guided missile launchers for Mk.46 torpedoes for
KARAOK is effective at both day In the first phase of the LMSB2 pro- ASW, and a space for either one
and night due to its imaging infrared gramme, Malaysia will acquire three RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile
seeker. Ada-class corvettes, with an addi- (RAM) launcher, MBDA Albatross,
tional eight to be acquired in the or MBDA MICA VL Surface to Air
Frigates from Turkiye second phase. It is currently uncer- Missile (SAM) installation – depend-
ing on the configuration.
Malaysia has chosen Turkiye to tain whether all of these vessels will
equip its future frigates. According be constructed by STM in Turkyie
to Mindef, Türkiye has won the or if some will be built in Malaysia The Ada-class corvette is also
tender for the construction of the instead. equipped with a helipad and a
Littoral Mission Ship (LMS) Batch II hangar to store and operate a
for the Malaysian Navy. The Ada-class is a type of patrol medium-sized ASW or transport
and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) helicopter as well as Unmanned
Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
Recently, Defence Minister Datuk corvette which is also equipped with
Seri Khaled Nordin, in the Dewan advanced anti-aircraft missiles. With Focus Now on LCS
Rakyat (the lower house of a displacement of around 2,400
Malaysia’s parliament) announced tonnes, it has a length of 99.44 Defense Minister Nordin said the
that the procurement process for m, a 14.42 m beam, and a draft of ministry was currently focusing
the second batch of LMS (LMSB2) 3.59 m. Powered by a 31,640 kW on the process involving the con-
is being conducted through a gov- (42,430 hp) RENK CODAG engine, struction of five littoral combat ship
ernment-to-government approach it has a maximum speed of 30 knots (LCS) with one of them expected
with Turkiye. The negotiation is and a maximum range of 6,500 km to undergo a test for the installation
directly with a Turkish govern- (3,500 nm) under its cruising speed system and equipment for harbour
ment-related company, Savunma of 15 knots. Crewed with 93 person- acceptance test and sea accep-
Teknolojileri Mühendislik (STM). nel, it has a maximum endurance of tance trial in November.
21 days.
Construction of the LMS is The LCS construction period has
expected to take about three years Armed with a retractable 76 mm Oto been extended to 83 months and
after the procurement process is Melara Rapid main cannon, and two it is expected that Royal Malaysian
finalised. Aselsan STAMP Remote Controlled Navy (TLDM) will only be able to
Weapon Stations (RCWSs) each obtain all five LCSs in 2029 com-
equipped with a 12.7 mm heavy
The Ada-class corvette LMSB2 is machine gun, it is also armed with pared to the original contract where
being equipped with air defense 8 Atmaca or Harpoon Anti-Ship LCS 5 was supposed to be deliv-
ered in 2022.
According to a Parliamentary Public
Accounts Committee (PAC) report
on LCS, the main issue of LCS’s
detailed design has not yet been
resolved which is currently at a
rate of 96 per cent completion at
the construction contractor level
with only 84 per cent having gone
through the confirmation, verifi-
cation and approval stage by the
Naval Group from France as the
LCS design supervisor.
“However, the con-
struction contractor
assured that the detailed
design will be completed
ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY MARCH - APRIL 2024 | 27
