Laksamana-class corvette

Last updated
LaksamanaTunAmin.jpg
KD Laksamana Muhammad Amin (F136) during Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercises
Class overview
NameLaksamana class
Builders Fincantieri
OperatorsNaval Ensign of Malaysia.svg  Royal Malaysian Navy
Succeeded by Kasturi class
Subclasses Assad class
Built1982-1988
In commission1997-present
Completed4
Active4
General characteristics
Type Corvette
Displacement675 tons full load
Length62.3 m (204 ft 5 in)
Beam9.3 m (30 ft 6 in)
Draught2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)
Propulsion
  • 4 MTU 20V 956 TB 92 diesels
  • 4 shafts developing
  • 20,400 bhp (15,200 kW)
Speed36 knots (67 km/h)
Range2,300 nautical miles (4,300 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h)
Complement56
Sensors and
processing systems
  • RAN-12 air/surface search radar
  • RTN-10X fire control radar
  • Kelvin Hughes 1007 navigation radar
  • Diodon hull sonar
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • Gamma suite
  • SCLAR chaff
Armament
NotesThe missile might be removed due to being obsolete [1]

The Laksamana class is a class of small missile corvettes comprising four ships currently in service with the Royal Malaysian Navy. All four ships of the Laksamana class are currently serving in the 24th Corvette Squadron of the Royal Malaysian Navy. [2] [3]

Contents

Development

The Laksamana-class corvettes were originally purchased by the Iraqi Navy as the Assad-class corvettes, their delivery was delayed and later cancelled because of international sanctions against Iraq following the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. It is based on the Fincantieri Type 550 corvette design.

In October 1995, the Malaysian Ministry of Finance signed a contract with Italian company Fincantieri for the supply of two 675-ton missile corvettes for the Royal Malaysian Navy. Two more missile corvettes were ordered in February 1997. Some specific aspects of the ships' design were modified and the ships were refitted to meet the requirements of the Royal Malaysian Navy.

The first two ships, named KD Laksamana Hang Nadim and KD Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil, were commissioned in July 1997. The second two, named KD Laksamana Muhammad Amin and KD Laksamana Tan Pusmah, were delivered in July 1999.

The ships are all named after famous Malay warriors who have earned the title Laksamana during their lifetimes. ("Laksamana" would translate as an admiral in modern usage, but in the Malay Sultanates, the title would be more a minister of the realm (a warrior) who is responsible for defense of the realm. The Laksamana is the second most senior position the Malay court, lower only than the Bendahara).

Characteristics

Sensors

The ship's radar suite consists of a RAN 12L/X air and surface search radar, operating in D and I bands and a Kelvin Hughes 1007 navigation radar operating at I band. The ship is also fitted with a Global Positioning System (GPS).

The ship's electronic warfare suite comprises the INS-3 radar interceptor and the TQN-2 radar jammer.

Underwater sensors provided is the ASO 94-41 hull mounted active search and attack sonar supplied by Atlas Elektronik.

Armament

The Laksamana class is armed with the MBDA Otomat Mark 2/Teseo long-range sea-skimming missile with six missile launchers installed on the stern deck, three pointing to port and three pointing starboard. The missiles are armed with a 210 kg (460 lb) high-explosive warhead, fitted with impact and proximity fuses. The speed of the missile is Mach 0.9 and the range is 120 km (75 mi).

A medium-range air defence is provided with the semi-active radar homing MBDA Albatros SAM system, providing defence against aircraft and incoming anti-ship missiles. The Albatros system fires the Mach 2.5 Aspide missile over a 15 km (9.3 mi) range to deliver a 33 kg (73 lb) warhead.

The Laksamanas are also armed with two triple Whitehead Alenia ILAS-3 torpedo launchers installed one each side on the main deck, firing the A244/S anti-submarine torpedoes that use the active, passive and mixed mode homing to a target range of 7 km (4.3 mi).

The class is armed with a 76 mm (3 in) 62 calibre Oto Melara Super Rapid gun is installed on the bow deck in front of the citadel. The firing rate is 120 rounds per minute and range is up to 16 km (9.9 mi). The ships are also armed with the 40 mm (1.6 in) Oto Melara L70 twin gun in the multi-role mode over a range of 12.5 km (7.8 mi) and firing rate of 300 rounds/minute.

A 105 mm (4 in) decoy launcher is installed on both the port and starboard side of the ship. Each launcher has six launch tubes and is capable of firing illuminating rounds or chaff rounds to counter hostile radars and radar guided missiles.

Propulsion system

The ships are powered by four MTU 20V 956 TB 92 diesel engines developing 14.8  MW (19,800  hp ) sustained power driving four shafts. Three diesel generators each yield 280 KVA. The engines provide a dash speed of 36 knots (67 km/h), a maximum sustained speed of 34 knots (63 km/h) and an economical speed of 18 knots (33 km/h). The range at 18 knots (33 km/h) is 2,300 nautical miles (4,300 km). [4] [5]

Upgrade and refurbished

The Royal Malaysian Navy has confirmed that all four ships will be upgrade or refurbished to extend their service. The upgrade includes missile launchers, sensors, combat management system, fire control radar, IFF and chaff. [6] [7] As of 2022, the upgraded and refurbished program done for the first ship KD Laksamana Muhammad Amin. The upgrade however doesn't includes the installation of new weapons to replace the obsoleted missiles and torpedoes. [8]

Similar class

The four Assad-class corvettes built for Libya are a similar design to the Laksamana class.

Ships of the class

Pennant NameBuildersLaunchedCommissionedDivision/SquadronNotes
F134 Laksamana Hang Nadim Fincantieri 5 July 198328 July 199724th Corvette SquadronLaunched as Khalid ibn al Walid (F216) intended for Iraqi Navy but were never delivered due to arms embargo imposed after the Gulf War in 1991
F135 Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil Fincantieri30 December 198328 July 199724th Corvette SquadronLaunched as Saad ibn abi Wakkad (F218) intended for Iraqi Navy but were never delivered due to arms embargo imposed after the Gulf War in 1991
F136 Laksamana Muhammad Amin Fincantieri5 July 1983July 199924th Corvette SquadronLaunched as Abdullah ibn Abi Serh (F214) intended for Iraqi Navy but were never delivered due to arms embargo imposed after the Gulf War in 1991
F137 Laksamana Tan Pusmah Fincantieri30 March 1984July 199924th Corvette SquadronLaunched as Salah Aldin Ayoobi (F220) intended for Iraqi Navy but were never delivered due to arms embargo imposed after the Gulf War in 1991

Related Research Articles

<i>Maestrale</i>-class frigate Ship class

The Maestrale class is a class of frigates of the Italian Navy. The class is composed of eight vessels, all of which were built by Fincantieri S.p.A., Riva Trigoso, except for Grecale, which was built by Fincantieri S.p.A. – Muggiano, La Spezia.

Tarantul-class corvette Class of Soviet missile corvettes

The Soviet designation Project 1241 Molniya are a class of Russian missile corvettes. They have the NATO reporting name Tarantul. These ships were designed to replace the Project 205M Tsunami missile cutter.

<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 defense 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.

FREMM multipurpose frigate Class of multi-purpose frigates

The FREMM, which stands for "European multi-purpose frigate", is a Franco-Italian family of multi-purpose frigates designed by Naval Group and Fincantieri. In France, this surface combatant is known as the "Aquitaine class", while in Italy it is known as the "Bergamini class". The lead ship of the class, Aquitaine, was commissioned in November 2012 by the French Navy. Italy has ordered six general purpose and four anti-submarine variants. France, on the other hand, has ordered six anti-submarine variants and two air-defense ones.

ROCS <i>Tian Dan</i> Cheng Kung-class frigates

ROCS Tian Dan is the eighth ship of the Cheng Kung-class guided-missile frigates of the Republic of China Navy (ROCN), which was based on the Oliver Hazard Perry class of the United States Navy. Tian Dan was intended to be the first hull of the second batch of the class, with improved armament and electronics. However, delays in the development of the weapon systems and electronics led to the second batch being cancelled. In 1999, the first ship of the second batch was re-ordered to the standard design with all the improvements to the design. The ship was constructed beginning in 2001 by the China Shipbuilding Corporation in Taiwan and the frigate was launched in 2002 and entered service with the ROCN in 2004. In 2014, Tian Dan was among the Taiwanese vessels sent to assist in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 flight.

<i>Almirante Padilla</i>-class frigate

The Almirante Padilla-class frigates is a series of frigates operated by the Colombian Navy. The designation of this class is Type FS 1500 and there are four ships in service. The ships were built by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) at Kiel, West Germany in the 1980s, with the first vessel commissioning in 1983 and the last in 1984. The frigates have undergone significant modification over their careers with the 2012 Orion Program Upgrade significantly modernising the vessels. Two similar ships operate as the Kasturi-class corvettes in the Royal Malaysian Navy.

<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 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otomat</span> Anti-ship missile and land-attack missile

The Otomat is an anti-ship and coastal defence missile developed by the Italian company Oto Melara jointly with Matra and now made by MBDA. The name comes, for the first versions, from the name of the two builders and, for the later versions, Teseo, from the Italian word for Theseus. The MILAS variant is an anti-submarine missile. In its latest version Mk/2E purchased by the Italian Navy is a medium range anti-ship missile and a ground attack missile.

<i>Kedah</i>-class offshore patrol vessel Ship class of the Royal Malaysian Navy

The Kedah-class offshore patrol vessels of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) are six ships based on the MEKO 100 design by Blohm + Voss. Originally, a total of 27 ships were planned, but due to programme delays and overruns, only six were eventually ordered. Their construction began in the early 2000s, and by 2009, all six were in active service. The six vessels are named after Malaysian states.

BRP <i>Artemio Ricarte</i> (PS-37)

BRP Artemio Ricarte (PS-37) is third ship of the Jacinto-class corvettes currently assigned to the Offshore Combat Force of the Philippine Fleet. She is one of few ships in the Philippine Navy equipped with modern systems after the completion of combat, navigation and weapon systems upgrade of her class in August 2019. She was originally called HMS Starling (P241) during her service with the Royal Navy.

BRP <i>Apolinario Mabini</i> (PS-36)

The BRP Apolinario Mabini (PS-36) is the second ship of the Jacinto-class corvettes currently assigned to the Offshore Combat Force of the Philippine Fleet. She is one of few ships in the Philippine Navy equipped with modern systems after the completion of combat, navigation and weapon systems upgrade of her class in August 2019. She is named after Apolinario Mabini, a hero of the Philippine revolution and a former prime minister. She was originally called HMS Plover (P240) during her service with the Royal Navy.

<i>Gagah Samudera</i>-class training ship

The Gagah Samudera is a class of training ships of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN). The two ships were built jointly by Malaysia and South Korea under a shared development programme, with one ship built in South Korea and the other in Malaysia, The ships, named KD Gagah Samudera and KD Teguh Samudera are currently in service with Royal Malaysian Navy. All RMN ships carry the prefix KD

<i>Esmeraldas</i>-class corvette

The Esmeraldas-class corvettes are a class of corvette in service with the Ecuadorian Navy, built in Italy by Fincantieri, entering service in the early 1980s.

KD <i>Kasturi</i> (F-25)

KD Kasturi is the lead ship of Kasturi-class corvette of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN). She were 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>Laksamana Hang Nadim</i> (F134)

KD Laksamana Hang Nadim (F134) is the lead ship of Laksamana-class corvette currently in service with the Royal Malaysian Navy. She are currently serving in the 24th corvette Squadron of the Royal Malaysian Navy. She is based on the Fincantieri Type 550 corvette design.

KD <i>Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil</i> (F135)

KD Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil (F135) is the second ship of Laksamana-class corvette currently in service with the Royal Malaysian Navy. She built by Fincantieri based on the Type 550 corvette design. Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil constitute the Royal Malaysian Navy's 24th corvette Squadron.

KD <i>Laksamana Muhammad Amin</i> (F136)

KD Laksamana Muhammad Amin (F136) is the third ship of Laksamana-class corvette currently in service with the Royal Malaysian Navy. She built by Fincantieri based on the Type 550 corvette design and currently serving in the 24th corvette Squadron of the Royal Malaysian Navy.

KD <i>Laksamana Tan Pusmah</i> (F137)

KD Laksamana Tan Pusmah (F137) is the fourth Laksamana-class corvette currently in service with the 24th corvette Squadron of the Royal Malaysian Navy. She built by Italian company Fincantieri based on the Type 550 corvette design.

References

  1. "Malaysian Defence - Back To Future II".
  2. "RMN Official Page-Laksamana Class".
  3. "Naval Technology-Projects Laksamana".
  4. "Lynx-RMN Laksamana Class Corvette".
  5. "Defense News-Malaysian Naval Power Suffers Budget Woes".
  6. "Malaysian Navy mulls Chinese kit for Laksamana-class upgrades | IHS Jane's 360". Janes.com. 2015-04-27. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
  7. "Back To The Future". malaysiandefence.com.
  8. "Back in The Saddle Again".