Giant Patrol Vessels

PDRM new Humdinga amphibious vehicle on display at the 2016 Police Day parade. PDRM picture

SHAH ALAM: THE PDRM is supposed to get the allocation to procure a number of giant patrol vessels, according to a report by Bernama on Tuesday. Well at least in the Bahasa Malaysia version of that report, as the English one say: Giant Patrol Vehicles!

The reports quoted PDRM director of Strategic Resources and Technology (START), Datuk Zaleha Abdul Rahman as saying that the new assets wil be acquired next year to replace old assets.

From the English version of the report:

“PENDANG, (Kedah) April 26 (Bernama) – The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) will possess giant patrol vehicles, helicopters and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) as they beef up surveillance assets at the border to curb transborder crimes.

Its director of Strategic Resources and Technology (START), Datuk Zaleha Abdul Rahman said the new assets wil be acquired next year to replace old mobile patrol vehicles (MPV) and common vehicles used during operations.

“We have to equip our elite units with tactical and surveillance equipment to curb terrorist attacks, trans-border crimes and for border patrol,” she said when opening Pendang District Police Headquarters here, today.”

Screenshots of the two Bernama reports.
Screenshots of the two Bernama reports.

According to the BM report, the new assets will be procured under the RMK11 plan and the funding will allocated during the 2017-2018 period. I guess we will have to wait for the next budget to see whether or not the funding will be allocated.

A possible contender for the MMEA OPV programme, a Fassmer 80 OPV design. Chilean Navy Comandante Policarpo Toro OPV. Chile Navy
A possible contender for the MMEA OPV programme, a Fassmer 80 OPV design. Chilean Navy Comandante Policarpo Toro OPV. Chile Navy

So will it be an OPV size boat or a giant size patrol vehicles then? Your guess is as good as mine! That said at DSA 2016, Boustead hinted about the police wanting bigger patrol boats.

A model of the 90m OPV by BAE Systems. The Thai navy has one and building another. Reports from Thai newspapers suggest that these OPVs will be armed with Harpoon SSM.
A model of the 90m OPV by BAE Systems. The Thai navy has one and building another. Reports from Thai newspapers suggest that these OPVs will be armed with Harpoon SSM.

From Janes:

Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation (BHIC) will offer a scalable version of the Royal Malaysian Navy’s Kedah-class Next Generation Patrol Vessel (NGPV) to meet future ship requirements of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) said BHIC Director of Defence and Security, Anuar Murad.

Anuar told IHS Jane’s that scaled down versions of the 91 m Kedah-class NGPVs could be built and outfitted to the user’s requirements by BHIC and would be cheaper than comparable locally built ships based on foreign hull designs, as BHIC has the intellectual property rights for the Kedah class.

A model of the Kedah class with a full weapons suite at DSA 2016.
A model of the Kedah class with a full weapons suite at DSA 2016.

So it appears that the story giant patrol vessels is legit as Boustead is already gearing up for it and also the MMEA’s OPV programme. I have yet to get any details on the police “Giant Patrol Vessels (GPVs) programme but I doubt we will best the two giant cutters of China’s coast guard. One of these 12,000 tons cutters has already been launched while the other one is still being build.

The first of two China Coast Guard giant patrol vessel undergoing testing early this year. Chinese internet.
The first of two China Coast Guard giant patrol vessel undergoing testing early this year. Chinese internet.

It is likely that police GPV will be around the same size as the MMEA’s OPV which has a stated requirement of 80 metres. The biggest Marine Police PC currently in service may well be the five 25 metre boats procured from Perlis Marine Engineering Sdn Bhd a few years back.

One of the 25m patrol boat built for PDRM by PME
One of the 25m patrol boat built for PDRM by PME

The Marine Police which had been limited to patrolling the country’s beaches only a few years ago have had a second coming following the Lahad Datu incursion in 2013. Since then they have been on an expansion drive buying all sort of boats – mostly RHIBs – and even amphibious vehicles as well.

Humdinga amphibious vehicle (top) and Sealegs RIB on display at the recent 2016 Police Day ceremony. PDRM picturei
Humdinga amphibious vehicle (top) and Sealegs RIB on display at the recent 2016 Police Day ceremony. PDRM picturei

They have also bested MMEA in terms of getting the news out about seizures at sea and such matters. But getting a GPV even as small as the MMEA’s 80 metre OPV is a testament to a great empire building!

— Malaysian Defence

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10 Comments

  1. This is seriously unnecessary turf war that is not going to do any good to malaysian security.

    Both of the agency is under the home ministry. Can’t any minister put some sense into the police’s little napoleons?

    I thought the marine police jurisdiction is only around inshore waters? Why on earth do they need a “giant patrol vessels”?!? What to play sheriff in the eez?

    Please, leave the seas to the Mmea.

    Reply
    MMEA comes under the PM’s Department though both comes under the DPM. As mentioned in the story it was after the Lahad Datu incursion it was decided that Marine police will again has jurisdiction up to 12 nautical miles. How long this will last is beyond me

  2. Somehow, I felt like this is the funniest post I ever read in this site.

    I dont think this “GPV” a good idea. Redundancy and a whole load of other problematic and responsibilities overlapping issues.

  3. Is it necessary for the RMP to have the Humdinga amphibious? Whqat do you think of the Humdinga?

    Do you have any idea in the total unit for UAV and Helicopter that will be procured by RMP ?

    Reply
    There’s a need for amphibious vehicles especially in ESSCOM. That said I am more wary of the cost of maintaining them. No idea on how many UAVs and helicopters they want but as I reported before they a dozen or so helicopters but they got only two AW139 helicopters via a lease programme as reported. The original requirement was six

  4. GPV? who knows when TSHTF (like Mi -17heli) they quickly offload it to MMEA. But true to “malaysia can”, land and sea border area now more than 1 govt body business. Any untoward incident happens, yeah can push the buck. I believe RMP Marine should use the purpoted GPV allocation to get more 25m Patrol Craft. Just left the big boats arena for Navy and Coastguard.

  5. So confusing and duplication. Why not just combine mmea and this marine police.

    Reply
    They’ve tried years ago but did not do it so the mess continues

  6. Either I’m drunk or I’ve been staring into computer screen too much…

    Is this real?

    Reply
    Yes it is

  7. I think the police are pampered too much. They got M4 with optic whereas the army didn’t get the optic. Then they asked for UAV. Then they got the Armoured vehicle. Now they want giant patrol vessel. What are police core responsibility now? Are they supposed to keep the peace in the country or defend the country from external intrusion.

    Reply
    Read the Police Act 1967 and you will find your answers to your questions.
    On the M4 the police would rather have the HK416 but HK cannot get an export license nowadays. Anyhow the IGP and his deputy are by virtue of the law are members of the board of SMEO so they cannot forever say no

  8. ‘But getting a GPV even as small as the MMEA’s 80 metre OPV is a testament to a great empire building! ‘

    this is a good word!!

  9. So will the fisheries dept will be next? Announcing they will be getting 80m patrol ships too? After all, some of those illegal trawlers are pretty big…hehe

    Empire building by ………

  10. The Star reported recentlt that the RMN plans to acquire 12 Littoral Mission Ships to replace its older ships and Bpustead is mentioned as the builder. Is it the scaled down NGPV being offered? Hope you can share some info from the grapevine.

    Reply
    Even the RMN is not 100 sure what’s the LMS will be as there is no funding guaranteed for the 15 to 5 proposal. When I spoke to the industry at DSA no one had also a firm idea what the LMS concept is. The only thing we know so far now is that should be cheaper than the LCS and be able to undertake what ever missions of the PC, FAC, MCMW and corvette squadrons. The RMN magazine Samudera used a picture of the Singapore LMS on its cover to depict the proposed LMS. It may turn out to be totally different from the Singapore LMS in the end.

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