Maharaja Lela-class frigate

Last updated
ENS El Fateh Aug 2022 (cropped).jpg
A Gowind 2500 corvette of the Egyptian Navy which is the same design as the Maharaja Lela-class frigate [1]
Class overview
NameMaharaja Lela class
Builders
OperatorsNaval Ensign of Malaysia.svg  Royal Malaysian Navy
Preceded by Lekiu class
Cost
  • Revised (final): RM11.2B for 5 ships (final agreed-upon contract price dealing with cost overruns) [2] [3]
  • RM  2.24 billion (2023) per unit +  ToT (ceiling) [or $948M (2023 inflation) or ~$700M (2011 forex) or ~$490M (2023 forex)] [Nb 1] (excluding ammo [Nb 2] )
  • Inflation adjustment roughly equivalent to $948 million in 2023 US dollars (excluding ammo [Nb 2] )
  • Revised (initial): RM 9.128B for 5 ships (initial figures using the original contract price in dealing with cost overruns)
  • RM  1.8 billion (2011) per unit +  ToT (ceiling) or $560 million per ship (excluding ammo [Nb 2] )
  • Inflation adjustment roughly equivalent to $758 million in 2023 US dollars (excluding ammo [Nb 2] )
  • Original: RM 9B for 6 ships
  • RM  1.5 billion (2011) per unit +  ToT (ceiling) or $466 million per ship (excluding cost overruns and ammo [Nb 2] )
  • Inflation adjustment roughly equivalent to $631 million in 2023 US dollars (excluding cost overruns and ammo [Nb 2] )
In commission2026-
Planned6 [5]
Building5 [6] [7] [8]
Cancelled1 [3]
General characteristics
Type Littoral combat ship / Frigate
Displacement3,100 tons
Length
  • 111 m (364 ft 2 in) (overall)
  • 105 m (344 ft 6 in) (waterline)
Beam
  • 16 m (52 ft 6 in) (main deck)
  • 14.2 m (46 ft 7 in) (waterline)
Draught3.85 m (12 ft 8 in)
Propulsion CODAD 4 x MTU 20V 1163 M94, each rated at 7,400 kW (9,925 shp), total output: 29,600 kW (39,694 shp) [9]
Speed28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Range5,000  nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement138 [10]
Sensors and
processing systems
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • RESM: Thales Vigile
  • DLS: Wallop Super Barricade decoy launching system
Armament
Aircraft carriedVarious types of UAVs and helicopters, weighing up to 10 tons
Aviation facilitiesStern hangar and helicopter landing platform

The Maharaja Lela-class frigate, also known as the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), is a class of six stealth frigates being built for the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN). [5] First announced as the Second Generation Patrol Vessel (SGPV) in 2011, the ships are based on an enlarged version of the Gowind-class corvette, designed by Naval Group, formerly known as DCNS of France.

Contents

The contract has been finalised and it has been decided that all six ships will be built by local shipbuilder Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation (BHIC) for the RMN at a ceiling price of RM9 billion (US$2.8 billion), starting from 2015. [13] With the ships being 111 metres (364 ft 2 in) long and a displacement of 3,100 tonnes (3,100 long tons ), it would be the largest and most modern surface combatants in the Royal Malaysian Navy to date once delivered, being longer and more capable than the Lekiu-class frigate. [14]

Development

In early 2011, Malaysia announced its SGPV program with a budget of RM6 billion (US$1.9 billion) and six foreign shipbuilders announced interest in the project, most notably ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems with the MEKO 200 and Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding with the Sigma class 10514 as well as Naval Group's Gowind-class corvette which was ultimately selected. [15]

In late 2011, it was announced that the Gowind class had been chosen and that the SGPV program had been awarded to Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation (BHIC) / Naval Group, with the ceiling price increasing to RM9 billion (US$2.8 billion) from RM6 billion (US$1.9 billion). The RM9 billion (US$2.8 billion) contract included intellectual property rights and technology transfer. [16] The ships' sizes had also changed in accordance with the increase in ceiling price, increasing from 2,700 tonnes (2,700 long tons ) to 3,100 tonnes (3,100 long tons). All six ships will be built in Lumut, Malaysia and electronic components will be assembled in Cyberjaya, a township in Malaysia just south of Kuala Lumpur.

At DSA 2014, BHIC confirmed that the program is progressing rather well, with some parts already in critical design review the first ship expected to be finished by 2019. BHIC was in charge of designing the Malaysian specification. [17]

On 5 October 2014, RMN chief Admiral Aziz told IHS Jane's that construction of the first of the six ships had started at the BHIC facilities in Lumut, and reiterating a 2019 delivery date for the first ship and the remaining five ships delivered at six-month intervals thereafter. It also stated that RMN's current planning schedule called for sea trials of the first ship to be carried out in 2018 and operational entry in 2019.

Delays

In 2020, the Malaysian government announced that the LCS project had encountered some delays. [18] The Ministry of Defence awarded the project to BHIC in 2011 and at least two vessels slated by 2020 had not been delivered. The Ministry of Defence considered two options to resolve the delayed RM9 billion LCS project by BHIC. The first option required BHIC to complete the first of two ships, while the second option was for the government to ask Naval Group (the original designer) to complete the ships; the latter option was rejected by parliament. [19]

Following the delays, the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said it would call up former defence minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. PAC chairman Wong Kah Woh said former RMN chief, Admiral Abdul Aziz Hj Jaafar and the main contractor of the LCS project, BHIC would also be called. [20] Pangkor assemblyman Zambry Abdul Kadir said about 200 vendors and contractors would shut down and 10,000 workers would be affected if the LCS program continued to be delayed. [21] On 5 May 2021, the Malaysian government decided that it would retain BHIC as the class' shipbuilder. [22] In November 2021, Minister of Defence, Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein said, the first ship will be commissioned in 2025. [23]

On August 4 2022, the PAC reported that RM1.4 billion had been misappropriated and that the project had been awarded through direct negotiations without an open tender. [24] The then-defence minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had reportedly accepted the navy's preferred choice for a Sigma-class design on 26 May 2011, but then decided in favour of the Gowind-class design on 11 July 2011 after a discussion with Boustead Naval Shipyard. [25] Then-chief of navy Abdul Aziz Jaafar protested against the choice and later stated that the RMN had fought a "losing battle, right from the start", citing that the Sigma was a proven concept with other navies operating it, unlike the Gowind design. [26]

On 16 August 2022, former managing director of BHIC Ahmad Ramli Mohd Nor was charged with three counts of criminal breach of trust in Sessions Court, where he pleaded not guilty. The accused had previously served as chief of navy prior to his BHIC appointment. [27] The following day, Senior Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said that a Royal Commission of Inquiry is expected to be established to investigate the procurement process and subsequent non-delivery of the ships. [28]

Characteristics

General

Specifications

Sensors

SMART-S radar for the LCS Smart-s cropped.jpg
SMART-S radar for the LCS

It is believed that the RMN had requested for Thales Herakles radar that used on the FREMM frigates but BHIC had instead chosen the SMART-S. [29] These following sensors have been chosen for the ships.

Armament

The stealth 57 mm gun to equip the LCS, seen with the barrel retracted HMS Helsingborg 2 cropped.jpg
The stealth 57 mm gun to equip the LCS, seen with the barrel retracted

The Bofors 57 mm gun will be mounted in a stealth cupola similar to the ones mounted on the Swedish Visby-class corvettes. This frigate also equipped with two MSI DS30M 30 mm cannon as a secondary gun. BHIC also announced that there has been 16 Sylver VLS allocated on the deck of the ship for the surface-to-air missile although the missiles not contracted yet as of 2019. At the LIMA 2015, while the actual Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) were not specifically mentioned as per contract, Kongsberg has received a Letter of Award worth approximately 20 MEUR from Boustead Naval Shipyard in Malaysia for Naval Strike Missile. The delivery is to prepare for NSM anti-ship missiles onboard the upcoming RMN's LCS which will consist of the necessary fixed installations such as launchers, cables, electronics and integration to the combat management system SETIS to be provided by DCNS. [4] For the anti-submarine capabilities, it is confirmed that the ships will be equipped with two J+S fixed triple torpedo launcher. [30]

Ships of the class

NamePennant numberBuildersLaid downLaunchedCommissionedHomeport
Maharaja Lela 2501 BHIC 8 March 201624 August 2017 [31] 2026 (current estimate), [32] 2024 (former estimate) [33]
Syarif Masahor 250228 February 2017 [7]
Raja Mahadi 250318 December 2017 [6]
Mat Salleh 250431 October 2018 [34]
Tok Janggut 2505TBA [35]
Mat Kilau 2506Cancelled

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ To get a clear or consistent comparison from 2011 forex rates to the eventual cost overruns, the original 2011 Ringgit-Dollar forex ($1 = ~RM3.21) is retained, thus the resulting ~$700M figure per LCS. The RM11.2B revised contract price was announced in 2023 May 26 (forex: $1 = ~RM4.6) thus the resulting mere ~$490M figure per LCS. This forex factor is crucial as it's obviously ridiculous that LCS price became only slightly higher than the original $466M (2011) figure despite the huge cost overruns across the years, as well as the ringgit's dropped value against the US dollar, thus the lower $490M figure referring to ringgit's decreased value in 2023 USD forex rate as compared in 2011's $466M per LCS price. To avoid confusion, focus on the consistent increase of price by ringgit value per LCS: 1.5B (2011) to 1.8B (~2022) to 2.24B (2023). Also note that inflation and forex are different, thus RM2.24B (2023) is converted by Wikipedia as $948M (same year 2023), as compared to forex-only conversion of ~$700M (2011 forex) and ~$490M (2023 forex). This note is written in 2024 June, thus USD Wikipedia's inflation conversion remains at 2023's $948M figure.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 The MICA SAMs are still planned; the NSM contract have no actual cruise missiles, but only includes its launchers & other support components; [4] no mention for the contract for the torpedoes, only the J+S torpedo-launchers. All points to separate contracts which are normal for ammunitions procurement, separated from the platforms.

Related Research Articles

Littoral combat ship Ship designed for operations near shore

A littoral combat ship (LCS) is either of two classes of relatively small surface vessels designed for near-shore operations by the United States Navy. It was "envisioned to be a networked, agile, stealthy surface combatant capable of defeating anti-access and asymmetric threats in the littorals", although their ability to perform these missions in practice has been called into question.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MEKO</span> Family of warships

The MEKO family of warships was developed by the German company Blohm+Voss. MEKO is a registered trademark. The portmanteau stands for "Mehrzweck-Kombination". It is a concept in modern naval shipbuilding based on modularity of armament, electronics and other equipment, aiming at ease of maintenance and cost reduction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Malaysian Navy</span> Naval warfare branch of Malaysias military

The Royal Malaysian Navy is the naval arm of the Malaysian Armed Forces. RMN is the main agency responsible for the country's maritime surveillance and defence operations. RMN's area of operation consists of 603,210 square kilometers covering the country's coastal areas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ). RMN also bears the responsibility of controlling the country's main Sea Lines of Communications (SLOC) such as the Straits of Malacca and the Straits of Singapore and also monitors national interests in areas with overlapping claims such as in Spratly.

Sigma-class design Dutch-built family of modular naval vessels, of corvette or frigate size

The SIGMA class is a Dutch-built family of modular naval vessels, of either corvette or frigate size, designed by Damen Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Strike Missile</span> Anti-ship or land attack cruise missile

The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is an anti-ship and land-attack missile developed by the Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Saudi Navy</span> Navy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Royal Saudi Navy or Royal Saudi Naval Forces, is the maritime arm of the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces and one of the five service branches of the Ministry of Defense of Saudi Arabia. Its primary role is monitoring and defending the Saudi territorial waters against military or economic intrusion, and participating in international naval alliances.

<i>Lekiu</i>-class frigate Malaysian Navy frigate class

The Lekiu-class frigates are a class of frigates of the Royal Malaysian Navy. They are the largest and most modern surface combatants of the Royal Malaysian Navy, until the Maharaja Lela-class frigates are completed. The class comprises two vessels, KD Jebat and KD Lekiu. The class is named after the second ship of the class which was launched before Jebat.

<i>Kasturi</i>-class corvette

The Kasturi-class corvettes are two ships of the Royal Malaysian Navy, KD Kasturi and KD Lekir. They were acquired in the mid-1980s. The two ships constitute the Royal Malaysian Navy's 22nd Corvette Squadron, their homeport being Lumut. After about 25 years of service, they underwent an extensive modernisation known as Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) starting in 2009, enabling them to be employed for another 10 to 15 years. They have since been returned to active duty.

Penang Shipbuilding and Construction - Naval Dockyard Sdn Bhd (PSC-ND), was a division of the Penang Shipbuilding and Construction Industries Bhd (PCSI), a Malaysian shipbuilding company based in Lumut, Perak, Malaysia. The company's primary role is to maintain the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) fleet. However, a management and financial crisis in 2005 result the Malaysian Government to enforced the PSC-ND to be taken over by Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation and renamed as Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd.

Gowind-class design French multi-role ship design

The Gowind design is a family of steel monohull frigates, corvettes and offshore patrol vessels developed since 2006 by France's Naval Group, formerly known as DCNS, to conduct missions in the littoral zone such as anti-submarine warfare (ASW). The Gowind family includes vessels with lengths from 85 to 111 metres and displacement from 1,000 tons to 3,100 tons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bofors 57 mm Naval Automatic Gun L/70</span> Naval artillery

The Bofors 57 mm Naval Automatic Gun L/70, among other names, is a series of dual-purpose naval guns designed and produced by the Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors, designed in the late 1960s as a replacement design for the twin barreled Bofors 57 mm Naval Automatic Gun L/60. The gun is remotely controlled by a fire-control computer but can as a redundancy measure also be operated manually by crew using instrument panels either on or in direct contact with the gun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SMART-S Mk2</span> Dutch naval radar system

SMART-S Mk2(Signaal Multibeam Acquisition Radar for Tracking, S band Mk2) is a naval medium to long-range air and surface surveillance multibeam passive electronically scanned array 3D radar designed by Thales Nederland, formerly Hollandse Signaalapparaten (Signaal). While the original SMART-S radar was only produced in small numbers, SMART-S Mk2 is more successful with 30 systems were sold to navies all over the world within six years after being introduced. The radar transmitter/receiver (T/R) modules for the radar are purchased by Thales from the Turkish defence company Aselsan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation</span> Malaysian shipyard company

Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation Berhad, often abbreviated as BHIC is a Malaysian industrial group specialised in defence, naval and commercial shipbuilding, ship repair, fabrication of offshore structures as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft. The company is a public limited company and the largest shareholder is Armed Forces Fund Board, a government statutory body which provides retirement benefits and a savings scheme for officers of the Malaysian Armed Forces, with a 58.69% stake. The second largest shareholder is Retirement Fund (Incorporated), a company created by the Malaysian Government as an investment company, with a stake of 7.17%.

<i>Keris</i>-class littoral mission ship Malaysian patrol vessel class

The Keris class are a class of large patrol vessels of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) with a length of 69 metres and displacing 700 tons. A total of 18 ships are planned. As of 2018, four ships have been funded by the Malaysian government.

Multi-Role Support Ship (MRSS) is a class of amphibious ship planned for the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN).

KD <i>Kasturi</i> (F-25) Corvette of the Royal Malaysian Navy

KD Kasturi is the lead ship of Kasturi-class corvette of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN). She was acquired in the 1980s and served under 22nd Corvette Squadron of RMN and based in Lumut Perak. Kasturi is based on HDW's FS 1500 design.

KD <i>Syarif Masahor</i> (2502)

KD Syarif Masahor is the second ship of Maharaja Lela-class frigate built locally by Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation (BHIC). She build based on enlarged version of Naval Group's Gowind-class design. The ship named after Syarif Masahor, in honour of the Sarawak warrior during British colonialism.

KD <i>Maharaja Lela</i> (2501) Lead ship of the Malaysian Maharaja Lela-class frigates

KD Maharaja Lela is the lead ship of Maharaja Lela-class frigate built locally by Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation (BHIC) based on enlarged version of Naval Group's Gowind-class design. She is named after Maharaja Lela, in honour of the Perak chieftain and British colonialism resistance leader, Dato Maharaja Lela.

References

  1. ↑ "Gowind Corvettes".
  2. ↑ "LCS Now Costs RM11.2 Billion, Updated". 26 May 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Down to five LCS only". 30 January 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Letter of Award for NSM ships equipment with Malaysian Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd". 9 April 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 "Malaysian Ministry of Defence Confirms Construction of Gowind ships for LCS program". navyrecognition.com. 28 October 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Keel Laying Ceremony for Third LCS - Malaysian Defence". 15 December 2017.
  7. 1 2 "No Quarter - Malaysian Defence". 25 August 2017.
  8. ↑ "No Quarter". malaysiandefence.com. 25 August 2017. Retrieved 1 Sep 2017.
  9. ↑ https://www.bhic.com.my/doc/LCS.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  10. ↑ "NavyRecognition". 25 April 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  11. ↑ "LIMA 2015 update" . Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  12. ↑ "Letter of Award for NSM ships equipment with Malaysian Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd". Navy Recognition. 9 April 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  13. ↑ Abas, Marhalim (17 July 2014). "SGPV-LCS Contract Formalised". Malaysian Defence. Archived from the original on 17 March 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  14. ↑ "Royal Malaysian Navy Releases First Official Image of its LCS-SGPV Corvette". navyrecognition.com. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  15. ↑ Abas, Marhalim (22 February 2011). "SGPV or LCS...Part II". Malaysian Defence. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  16. ↑ Abas, Marhalim (17 December 2011). "SGPV/LCS/ Frigate awarded to BNS/DCNS Ceiling Price Goes Up to RM9 billion". Malaysian Defence. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  17. ↑ "Malaysian Navy Gowind SGPV LCS program update at DSA 2014 with Boustead". Youtube.
  18. ↑ "Here We Go Again LCS - Malaysian Defence". 3 August 2020.
  19. ↑ "Boustead: No comment on littoral combat ship project resumption until official confirmation". 10 May 2021.
  20. ↑ "Defence ministry wants RM180 mil for delay in combat ship delivery". 22 December 2020.
  21. ↑ "Ismail Sabri: Cabinet to decide on fate of littoral combat ship project".
  22. ↑ Rahmat, Ridzwan (12 May 2021). "Malaysia retains Boustead as shipbuilder for LCS programme". Janes. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  23. ↑ "Kapal Pertama LCS Disasar Siap Pada Tahun 2025". 15 November 2021.
  24. ↑ "Malaysia to charge ex-top official of contractor firm linked to combat ship scandal". The Straits Times. 15 August 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  25. ↑ Radzi Razak (17 August 2002). "Declassified investigation report finds Zahid changed LCS design against Royal Malaysian Navy's wishes". Malaymail. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  26. ↑ "Ex-Malaysian navy chief says complaints to Najib, Zahid about ship contract unheeded". The Straits Times. 15 August 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  27. ↑ Rahmat Khairulrijal (16 August 2022). "LCS fiasco: Former Navy chief charged with 3 counts of CBT [NSTTV]". New Straits Times. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  28. ↑ Rashvinjeet S Bedi (17 August 2022). "Proposal for royal commission to probe Malaysia's warship deal presented to Cabinet: Defence minister". CNA. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  29. ↑ "Thales SMART-S Mk2 radar and CAPTAS- 2 towed sonar confirmed for Malaysia LCS program". navyrecognition.com. 18 February 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  30. ↑ "J+S Ltd to supply the Torpedo Launching System for the Royal Malaysian Navy LCS/SGPV corvettes". navyrecognition.com. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  31. ↑ "Royal Malaysian Navy Launched its First LCS Gowind Frigate KD Maharaja Lela".
  32. ↑ "Malaysia Secures The Future Of Its LCS Project". France: Naval News. 2023-05-26.
  33. ↑ "First LCS in 2024, Updated". 9 January 2023.
  34. ↑ "Fourth LCS Keel Laying Ceremony - Malaysian Defence". 22 October 2018.
  35. ↑ "Here We Go Again LCS - Malaysian Defence". 3 August 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.