SHAH ALAM: KD Perkasa delivered. RMN has officially taken delivery of KD Perkasa, pennant number 3512 after undergoing the Obsolescence Programme (OP) on May 9. Perkasa underwent the OP with a rehulling which Malaysian Defence is calling the OP Plus.
The OP Plus is the culmination of the FAC fleet upgrade programme as it combined the two other aspects of the initiative – repowering (changing the powerpack, propellors and generators) and with new hull and modifications to general arrangement of the ship.
The work on Perkasa started in late November 2020 and it supposed to be completed last year but delayed to the various issues caused by the pandemic. Perkasa had undergone the OP Plus at the Geliga Slipway Sdn Bhd in Kemaman. From RMN:
KEJAYAAN OBSOLESCENCE PROGRAM (OP) KD PERKASA LAKAR SEJARAH TLDM
KEMAMAN, 9 Mei – OP KD PERKASA melakar sejarah sebagai program unik, pertama kali dilaksanakan di planet ini. Unik disebabkan aktiviti OP seolah-olah membuat sebuah kapal baharu mengguna kembali sebahagian kecil peralatan legasi.
Di atas keberhasilan projek ini, Panglima Logistik Barat Laksamana Pertama Ts. Shaiful Bahari bin Baharuddin telah menyempurnakan majlis penerimaan OP KD PERKASA di limbungan Geliga Shipyard Sdn Bhd. Majlis diserikan dengan kehadiran Setiausaha Bahagian (SUB) Kewangan KEMENTAH, Datuk Muhamad Zamani bin Mohd Ali dan SUB Pembangunan, Encik Mohd Radzuan bin Abdul Manaf.
Program ini merupakan inisiatif terkini cetusan idea warga Navy People iaitu kapal dilaksanakan projek senggaraan in-lieu kepada refit, tetapi melibatkan penukaran secara total badan kapal (re-hull), sistem kuasagerak, penjanaan tenaga elektrik, sistem distribusi elektrik, hotel services” serta konfigurasi semula General Arrangement (GA). Hanya peralatan yang tidak usang akan di salvage, diselenggara dan dipasang semula di hull yang baharu.
OP KD PERKASA ini boleh dianggap breakthrough, inovasi luar kotak yang berhasrat mengubah persepsi terhadap tatacara pelaksanaan selenggaraan berjadual kapal TLDM di limbungan. Ini kerana secara tradisinya, kapal akan menjalani selenggaraan berjadual refit apabila tiba rutinnya. Namun disebabkan 3 faktor utama iaitu best value for money, memastikan jangka hayat aset lebih panjang dan Belanja Mengurus (Operating Expenditure – OE) akan datang tidak membebankan Kerajaan, maka pendekatan alternatif yakni OP telah dilancarkan. Selain KD PERKASA, OP melibatkan 2 lagi projek iaitu KD PERDANA dan KD GANYANG di mana projek kini sedang giat diteruskan.
Delegasi dari Unit Perancang Ekonomi (EPU), Kementerian Ekonomi yang terlibat di peringkat awal OP turut hadir di majlis penerimaan. Delegasi tersebut amat terkesima dengan inisiatif warga Navy People. Ini disebabkan putik-putik Success Story 1 daripada 3 projek OP telah dicapai, walaupun menghadapi cabaran sepanjang pandemik Covid-19 selama 2 tahun, termasuk impak Shanghai lock-down semasa endamik yang telah menjejaskan rantaian supply-chain.
Success Story OP KD PERKASA ini membuktikan bahawa:
1. Limbungan tempatan berkeupayaan penuh untuk membina kapal bersaiz kurang dari 80 meter tanpa perlu bantuan pihak luar negara, kecuali full-fledged sistem kombat.
2. Terdapat beberapa design-house tempatan yang mampu merekabentuk kapal dengan baik, khususnya kapal jenis non-combatant.
3. Rekabentuk in-house membolehkan lebih banyak produk pribumi (indigenous product) serta bahan tempatan yang type approved digunapakai, berbanding jika menggunakan rekabentuk limbungan luar negara yang dikesan menetapkan syarat yang ketat.
4. Kos perolehan tanpa sistem kombat bagi sebuah kapal berdasarkan rekabentuk rakyat Malaysia dan dibina oleh limbungan tempatan adalah lebih kompetitif iaitu lebih kurang:
4.1 Satu pertiga (1/3) kos perolehan jika menggunakan rekabentuk luar negara, tetapi kapal dibina di Malaysia.
4.2 Satu perempat (1/4) kos perolehan jika berdasarkan rekabentuk limbungan luar negara dan kapal dibina di premis mereka.
5. Peningkatan penglibatan pemain industri Bumiputera di projek ini.
Warga Navy People wajar berbangga dengan inisiatif terkini serta unik yang dihasilkan, di mana sebelum ini boleh dianggap a dream within a dream atau angan-angan Mat Jenin. Namun inisiatif tersebut yang berpaksikan mantra new way of doing things membuktikan angan-angan Mat Jenin boleh menjadi kenyataan sekiranya terdapat inovasi atau kreativiti, pushing-through with relentless effort serta komitmen yang tinggi oleh semua pihak yang terlibat.
Sehubungan itu, warga Navy People perlu terus berinovasi secara agresif untuk menghasilkan penambahbaikan berterusan demi memastikan TLDM lebih unggul, cemerlang, gemilang dan terbilang.
Do note the release above was written by RMN Chief Engineer Rear Admiral Mohd Shaiful Adli Chung himself, who had initiated the OP and OP Plus programme. It is interesting to note that the release stated that two FAC of the Perdana class, KD Perdana -the lead ship and KD Ganyang, the youngest one – are undergoing the same OP Plus. Perdana was last seen at the Kuantan naval region headquarters on April 27. (see below)
Anyhow from the pictures, the new Perkasa main upper superstructure has been extended to the back, which meant it no longer need to use a canvas awning at the top. The new arrangement, however, is more conservative than the one done on KD Sri Perlis and her sister ships.
The pictures also seemed to indicate that the Y gun (rear gun) – the Bofors L70 40mm – has been taken off Perkasa.
It also appears, that Perkasa has not been fitted with the EO turret and other capabilities as her sister ships, KD Gempita and KD Pendekar.
It is likely that this will be done after delivery under a different contract. This is the same thing to be done with KD Laksamana Muhamad Amin which is also undergoing the OP Plus at the Grade One Marine Shipyard in Lumut, Perak.
Perhaps, one will be able to spot KD Perkasa at the RMN Regional One headquarters in Kuantan this weekend as they are having another open day programme on May 13 and 14.
— Malaysian Defence
View Comments (34)
Looks good and less radar cross section
With new hull, new superstructure, new engines, basically new everything except for the bofors 57mm, that is a brand new ship.
If you go look into google map of the geliga shipyard, you can see the old hull of KD perkasa, with a big hole over its engine room, just a few meters away from the new KD perkasa.
The low cost of 1/3 to 1/4 of a comparable foreign design means that duplicating this ship build for tasks that does not need to have CMS, like for the coast guard, will be very cost effective.
Hopefully the IP for this is held by the navy, and future builds could be tendered to various shipyards using the same blueprint for KD Perkasa.
While PRC & ROK are ship building capital in the world (mostly thanks to state subsidies). MY,SG & ID are leaders in ship retrofit, repurposed etc etc.(mostly due to our geography rather than state interventions). The low cost is realized due to some parts our industrial specialization capabilities.
Hopefully the experience gained would allow us to repowered & rehulled the Kedah in a decade times.
The most interesting part however is
"Satu pertiga (1/3) kos perolehan jika menggunakan rekabentuk luar negara, tetapi kapal dibina di Malaysia.
4.2 Satu perempat (1/4) kos perolehan jika berdasarkan rekabentuk limbungan luar negara dan kapal dibina di premis mereka"
Based on RMN on estimate is only an increase in 25% of total cost compared to CBU ordered from overseas. And the increase is more then worth it as it increases the payment in MYR with local spillovers effect ranging from increase in employment & taxes to improvement in industrial capabilities rather than paying fully in foreign currency.
Thus the usual '200%' markup is more towards R&D (in the host country that doesnt benefits us as a country in any way) due to our request for specialized varient rather than the usual suspects (by some here) that's our local boys & industry are cheating us dirty. Hopefully this would put to rest the villainization of our hardworking wo/man in the industry who makes an honest living.
The real villain is & had always been high ranking decision maker who decides to order specialized varient despite the availability of off the shelf platforms while Keeping on changing platforms & supplies. RSN meanwhile achieve economics of scale by continuous shipbuilding programme utilizing a single suppliers who worked with the same sub suppliers.
Personally the best suppliers from us is like RSN from the north sea states. It allowed us to pick several vendors but still gain economics of scale as north sea states navies utilities mostly the same CMS, radars, weapons & so on. With ship specially designed to counter russian threats in the confined north sea either alone, with each other or with the American.
To give some backstory the FACs were intended to be upgraded in the late 1990's and when that plan was shelved the RMN made plans for their eventual retirement. Thanks to the politicians; a worst case feasibility stuff done to extend their lives became a reality.
Like various other things we've bought; we really got our money's worth with the 3 FAC classes. We used them extensively for several decades; including for extended EEZ patrols; a role they weren't designed for. A bummer is that during the monsoon season they often can't put to sea and they can very uncomfortable for crews.
Zaft - ''Hopefully the experience gained would allow us to repowered & rehulled the Kedah in a decade times.''
In a decade the Kedahs might not need a rehull and ''hopefully'' they well be replaced on schedule wen the times comes rather than the RMN having to resort to extreme measures out of sheer necessity. Note that although feasibility studies were made the expectation was that rehulling and other measures would not have to be taken; i.e. in 2013 a bemused RMN officer friend [they tend not to have ''tunnel vision''] told me that a plan had been made to rehull the Laksamanas but that the expectation was that things wouldn't lead to that.
Zaft - ''With ship specially designed to counter russian threats in the confined north sea either alone,''
No. Depends on which period of the Cold War and even today in the event of the balloon going up the area of operations might be in the Black Sea; Norwegian Sea or Baltic rather than the North Sea.
Zaft - ''that’s our local boys & industry are cheating us dirty.''
Understand that what the local industry those is enabled by the very system the politicians have put in place.
Zaft - ''The real villain is & had always been high ranking decision maker ''
''''The real villain is & had always been'' politicians/decision makers who placed priority on national interests rather than than the end user or tax payer; who created the very system in which defence procurement is part of the patronage system; who have am indifferent mindset towards defence and who have an inherent inability to learn from mistakes.
Zaft - ''While PRC & ROK are ship building capital in the world (mostly thanks to state subsidies).''
Leave it to you to jump to erroneous conclusions. It's down to a variety of factors including having the needed fundamentals in place.
Zaft - ''(mostly due to our geography rather than state interventions).''
Poppycock. It's down to a variety of factors related to economics, politics, priorities, etc.
So, why exactly can't we do the same with the Meko? We already got the blueprint and we can source locally made CMS why can't we produce a cheap Meko by the dozen instead of paying for Ada?
That is one handsome boat.
It can be clearly seen that the new hull cross section is different to the original, with a modern "chine" leaving the sides flatter than the original hull.
The bridge is also wider than before, with bigger windows.
In all a much more refined overall design compared to what was done to the vospers.
As mentioned in the post, most of the ship yards can only do ships up to 80 metres
@ dundun
Why?
Because the kedah class IP is owned by BNS, not the government.
As you know, BNS is now in the deep end of trying to complete the Gowinds. They cannot afford another distraction in the shape of building a new Kedah class, or any large ships for that matter.
There are shipyards that can build ships more than 80m in length. MMHE, Muhibbah, Labuan Shipyard, Shin Yang among them that could. But to do self design + do systems integration to those size of naval ships? I don't think so.
Back to LMS B2
Now with added information about the local capabilities of designing and building ships under 80m with low build costs, how can this information affect the wants and needs for the LMS B2?
If we can get 4 locally designed and built 80m ship for the budget of 1 imported ship, so instead of just 6, we could afford 24 ships on the same budget.
Since this has been materialized, why not to offer the yards to built another 3 or 4 unit of the same size and capacity.. and to enhances combat capability at least to have SSM launcher / SAM - MBDA simbad RC / etc.