KD Kasturi Returns from Lengthy Refit

KD Kasturi and her crew after her delivery from Lunas on January 14. RMN.

SHAH ALAM: KD Kasturi – pennant number 25 – was officially delivered to the RMN by Lumut Naval Shipyard (Lunas) on January 14, some three years after she went into a routine refit. It was so long that she went into refit with Boustead Naval Shipyard and came out from another yard, Lunas.

And during that time, RMN had three chiefs – TS Reza Sani and TS Rahman Ayob and the current one Admiral Zulhelmy Ithnain.

The captain of KD Kasturi taking delivery from Lumut Naval Shipyard. RMN.

RMN’s Markas Logistik Barat on social media:


Inside KD Kasturi main machinery room. RMN.

So what was done on Kasturi that it took so long to conduct a routine refit. I have no idea really as RMN has never disclose the scope of its ships refit or even SLEP. But from the tenders published in Eperolehan one could surmise that delays were likely due to the work on the ship’s main engines, generators and gearboxes.
Walking through the foredeck of KD Kasturi.

It is interesting to note that when Kasturi and her sister ship – KD Lekir – pennant number 26 – underwent their SLEP in mid-2000s, they only overhauled the main engines (four MTU diesels), generators and gear boxes (Renk). Some things were replaced during the SLEP but these items were not. As the ships are around 42 years-old it is expected that the main engines, gearboxes and generators will cause the most issues.
KD Lekir pictured at Penang port on January 14, 2024. Her Thales Mirador EO turret is on top of the bridge RMN

As it is the two ships are expected to serve until 2015 at least.
A group photo of KD Kasturi crew, Markas Logistik Barat and Lunas personnel at the hand-over ceremony. From this angle, the Thales MIRADOR electro-optical sensor on top of the bridge is missing. Likely taken off for repairs. The Mirador was installed during the SLEP.

— Malaysian Defence

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19 Comments

  1. 3 years ago was when LCS fiasco was at full tilt, I suspect the financial problems of BNS had a major part of the delays like not able able to procure replacement parts for the refit and with the War in Ukraine, buying military hardware from Europe will incur a longer wait now as they prioritise production orders going to the Ukraine cause. So it was a matter of bad luck & bad timing it went in for refit & then the delays happen.

    On that note. “to serve until 2015 at least.”
    Err really?

  2. ” As it is the two ships are expected to serve until 2015 at least ”

    Back to the future?? 😁😁😁😁😁

    Anyway, IMO the Kasturis (and the lekius) would be ideally passed on to APMM as OPVs when TLDM receives all its Gowinds and Turkiye Corvettes by 2030.

    Converting the kasturis to OPV just mean ripping out all the complex CMS electronics, radars, missiles, and sail the ship as is. With new engines, it could operate as an OPV for at least 20 more years.

  3. That was the original plan anyways. Will it change in the next few years? I have no idea. Anyhow, the ship spent three years in a routine refit, think it is good for another 10 years. If they do not sent in KD Lekir for routine refit next, RMN may well retire them both by 2030, five years away…

  4. Just keep them around until all the LCS, LMSB2 and LMSB3 are operational. keep in mind that we only had 4 missile capable ships rn and china is getting bolder with their incessant intrusion in our EEZ

  5. Adding 8 large new ships (5 gowind + 3 turkiye corvettes) by 2028 will need a substantial increase in manpower. Unless existing ships is retired and manpower transferred to those new ships.

    Incidentally we have 8 old frigates and corvettes (2 lekiu, 2 kasturi, 4 laksamana) right now…

  6. @Hulu
    “ideally passed on to APMM as OPVs”
    Ideally? They spent the last 3 years in refit. Ideally MMEA would turn them into coral reef, if they are going to be saddled with such costly & lengthy refits. Even if this new one is good for another 10 years and TLDM were to use for 5, MMEA would only have a mere 5 more for use at most. You would still smell the MMEA white paint by the time these needs to be fully retired. They would rather spend their efforts to get both OPV #2&3 back on track than running down these old boats.

  7. @dundun
    “Just keep them around until all the LCS, LMSB2 and LMSB3 are operational.”
    Thats the plan simply because TLDM has no other choice. Lekiu class arent doing too well either.

  8. Why we still using this ancient ships,our neighbors already keel laying Merah Putih Frigate (based on U.K type 31)and our red dot neighbor also with new MRCV not to mention their new subs . We just keep life-extension or SLEP or whatever programs just to keep voters happy (cos’ they don’t cost a lot of money) despite having largest annual budget ever approve
    in history (suspect large chunks of it goes to subsidies especially fuel so to keep their simple minded voters happy) that’s why we can’t have a good thing here in Malaysia just envy or neighbors from afar

  9. @ joe

    I don’t expect you not to understand about refits when you know much about truck rebuilds…

    That thing has completed an extensive refit, not in a condition to need an extensive refit. So it is in a condition to be able to be used for many years to come. The only concern it will have in the future is that those complex electronics onboard (tacticos CMS etc) will become obsolete, but that is not an important criteria in being a simple OPV.

  10. ” From this angle, the Thales MIRADOR electro-optical sensor on top of the bridge is missing ”

    In its place it looks like a huge searchlight has been installed… Need to have more pictures of the bridge from other angles.

  11. @Hulu
    “to be able to be used for many years to come”
    Marhalim POV that this refit is only good for another 10 more years. Seeing as were lacking in boats so further usage will be high, I do agree with his assessment. After 10 years what then, another costly refit for 3 years out of action? Why would MMEA want such a deal?

    Its the same with commercial vehicles, well known for reliability & able to take multiple rebuilds but it will come a time there is no longer ROI. The same goes for these old boats. By right their ROI has long gone passed but here we are today.

    @Dundun
    “Why retire our most capable ones first?”
    Their the oldest in our most capable ones hence its natural their the first to go.

    @Rushdi
    “suspect large chunks of it goes to subsidies”
    A large chunk will go to this https://www.malaysiandefence.com/helicopter-leasing-deal-signed/

  12. The Thales Mirador was recently bought & installed already problem? Without EO how can it operate.

  13. I think its under repair, the ship still has its main radar. If its remained in the workshop and the Lekir goes into Lunas for refit, they can used that EO on Kasturi until its one is repaired.

  14. ” After 10 years what then, another costly refit for 3 years out of action? Why would MMEA want such a deal? ‘

    The new engines + gearbox will be good for 30 more years. MMEA will not run the ship at max speed all the time anyway so in MMEA service for around 20 years it should just have routine dockings for antifouling etc. only.

  15. If you look at US Coast Guard for example…

    Their WHEC medium endurance cutters built between 1962–1968 are still currently used (12 ships, 4 retired). Now 2 of them will be handed over to MMEA. That is around 60 years and counting.

    USCG even uses a ex-nazi ship operationally right now. The 89-years old 1,800ton 90m ship USCGC Eagle still sails the world’s ocean as USCG main training ship, and is not planned to be replaced in any way.

    https://i.imgur.com/uk7IkTo.jpeg

  16. Hulu pls verify how many and name which USCGS will join MMEA and where did you get the news fr ( as you mention “now 2” ).
    Yr info is much appreciated.

  17. @Hulu
    “US Coast Guard for example”
    Cant be compared like that, USCG has even more money that our entire armed forces of course they would have the resource & scale of economy to able to maintain their old vessels but such luxuries are not available to us. As I said its all in the ROI, should we put more money into maintain old boats for 10 years of use or put that money into OPV #2&3 that can serve for another 30-40 years? If we have no alternatives or ones even costlier than keeping them I would agree with you, but we do have alternatives…

    “MMEA will not run the ship at max speed all the time anyway”
    But by nature they need to run them much more frequently, it doesnt matter so much how fast you run your car its in the mileage you put in that determines when you next service. The older your car is, the shorter the intervals to prevent sudden breakdowns and the higher chance that a costly service will happen. Ship diesel engines are durable but they arent indestructible you see.

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