RMN Takes Delivery of Ex-Sundang

KD Sri Johor image after undergoing AI editing. She is among the first ship to undergo RMN

SHAH ALAM: RMN has taken delivery of ex-Sundang on October 23 after the patrol craft completed its refit. She is the first of two ex-MMEA PC to be redelivered and refitted so they can return to service with the RMN. More on this on Malaysian Defence post here.

It is interesting note that the ex-Sundang (and ex-Panah) were previously called – KD Sri Sarawak and KD Sri Sabah – by RMN itself but the latest release did not mention the names. Perhaps, they are waiting for the commissioning ceremony before calling the two PCs their new names.

Ex-Sundang – pennant number 46 at the delivery ceremony. Behind her is ex-Panah -pennant number 48. RMN

The release:

ππ€π“π‘πŽπ‹ 𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐅𝐓 (𝐏𝐂) 𝐄𝐗–𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐆 π’π„π‹π„π’π€πˆ π‘π„π…πˆπ“
KUALA TERENGGANU, 23 Okt – Panglima Logistik Barat, Laksamana Pertama Ts. Shaiful Bahri bin Baharuddin telah menyempurnakan majlis penerimaan PC Ex-SUNDANG yang selesai menjalani refit di Pulau Kambing, hari ini.
Dalam tempoh terdekat, sebuah lagi PC iaitu Ex-PANAH juga akan diterima. Melalui inisiatif pindah-milik dan pelaksanaan refit ini, kedua-dua PC telah diberi nafas baharu di mana pendekatan β€œtotal make-over” telah berjaya mengubah landskap dan keupayaan kapal. Maklumat tambahan berkaitan program ini adalah seperti di pautan berikut:
Lawatan PTL ke MSET dan mantan KSU ke MSET
https://www.facebook.com/100067407635021/posts/626457769611139/?app=fbl
Memindah milik dan mengaktifkan semula kedua-dua PC adalah pendekatan filling the gap. Semoga PC tersebut berupaya meneruskan khidmat bakti kepada TLDM dengan flying colours, secara berkesan dan efektif. Sekalung tahniah kepada semua pihak yang terlibat dengan inisiatif ini – We make it happen.
Sumber : Markas Tentera Laut, Bahagian Kejuruteraan, RMN Chief Engineer Office
Artikel : Laksamana Muda Dato’ Ir. Ts. Haji Mohd Shaiful Adli Chung
Foto : Lt Dya Khairul bin Azhar TLDM

The then Mindef secretary-general DS Muez Abdul Muez visited MSET shipyard in early 2022. Note the ship in the background. The ship looked similar to the modified KD Sri Johor and KD Sri Perlis. ATM

Unfortunately, we have no idea on how much the cost of putting back both boats into service. There were two tenders to repair radios and the installation of new equipment on them but the cost of the contracts awarded to two separate companies, were not revealed.

KM Kukup, picture taken in 2011. She is likely the ex-Sundang/ex-Panah from MMEA which had been refited for the RMN. Malaysian Defence picture.

Anyhow, from pictures released by RMN on the delivery of ex-Sundang and other releases, it is likely that both PC will look like KD Sri Johor and KD Sri Perlis both based at RMN regional headquarters 2 in Sandakan, Sabah. Sri Johor is involved in another Borneo War exercise currently conducted by RMN Eastern Fleet command in waters off Kota Kinabalu.
The original image of KD Sri Johor as uploaded by RMN.

As usual a grainy picture of Sri Johor was published in the release (above) but thanks to AI, we now have a high-resolution image of her outline (below and main image).
KD Sri Johor image after undergoing AI editing. RMN

As mentioned previously, Sri Johor and her sister ship is currently armed with a single 40mm Bofors gun in the A-position. The rear 40mm gun has been removed and a RHIB has been installed in that position. Two machine guns mounts are also installed aft of the new superstructure.

— Malaysian Defence

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11 Comments

  1. A 40mm weapon only or looks like could mount a 30/50 cal at the exposed portion aft of upper deck?

  2. Original KD Sri Sabah (3144) was transferred to APMM renamed KM Labas and scrapped 2018. Original KD Sri Sarawak (3145) transferred to APMM renamed KM Sipadan, sunk as reef off Tioman. If the planned renaming is to be continued, that will make their history very convoluted.

    As for the Vosper design, there are actually a few sisterships built for USCG that is available for transfer, and all of them are younger (oldest built in 1985) than the current 4 remaining Vosper PC with TLDM. These have the same hull design as our PC, but with a much better designed superstructure. Why we did not copy this better superstructure design is a mystery.
    https://media.defense.gov/2019/Apr/26/2002121803/-1/-1/0/180313-G-XQ144-009.JPG

  3. History

    KD Sundang – P36
    launched 22/05/1966
    commissioned November 1966
    Passed to APMM 2006
    KM Segantang – 3133
    retired APMM 2018
    passed APMM back to TLDM 10/06/2020
    accepted back to TLDM after OP program – 23/10/2023
    KD ??? – 46

    KD Panah – P42
    launched 10/10/1966
    commissioned July 1967
    Passed to APMM 2006
    KM Kukup – 3135
    retired APMM 2018
    passed APMM back to TLDM 10/06/2020
    accepted back to TLDM after OP program – TBA
    KD ??? – 48

    Original KD Sri Sabah – P3144
    launched 30/12/1963
    commissioned September 1964
    Passed to APMM 2006
    KM Labas – 3137
    retired APMM 2018 – scrapped??

    Original KD Sri Sarawak – P3145
    launched 20/01/1964
    commissioned September 1964
    Passed to APMM 2006
    KM Sipadan – 3131
    retired APMM 2018 – sunk artificial reef off Pulau Tioman

    KD Sri Perlis – P47
    launched 26/05/1967
    commissioned 28/01/1968
    OP program start 11/08/2020 (Preston shipyard)
    accepted back to TLDM after OP program – 24/09/2021

    KD Sri Johor – P49
    launched 21/08/1967
    commissioned 14/02/1968
    OP program start – 31/10/2022 (Preston shipyard)
    accepted back to TLDM after OP program – 23/07/2023

  4. @hulubalang
    “Why we did not copy this better superstructure design”
    Since this is an OP Plus so the superstructure is of indigenous design by MSET i believe therefore you have to ask them that. How USCG one is better can be arguable as its based on internal space usage and might differ from what TLDM wanted so perhaps the MSET one was ‘better’ for them. It appears the design provided a lot more internal volume as it wraps around the smoke outlets of the ori design.

    Also this is prolly designed so the rehull is as cheaply possible as the boats arent going to be used for an extended period after this. I doubt MMEA will want them back but i could be wrong.

  5. @ joe

    It was not redesigned by MSET. The 1st ship to this OP design was KD Sri Perlis in 2021.

    I think the USCG superstructure design is better due to the better packaging, higher bridge, the sloping forward design (instead of sloping back) of the bridge windows. This type of windows would create a cooler bridge, and less glare from the sun especially in tropical weather like malaysia.

  6. the laksamana’s new superstructure design has sloped forward bridge windows after the rebuild so it’s not like the concept is alien to both rmn or the shipbuilders

  7. Someone correct me if I’m mistaken. The MMEA has only transferred a pair of former RMN PCs back to the RMN; correct?

  8. AFAIK yes, but as with the Pengawal, they did not announced the second one. So yes, they could in fact they could have gotten more PC.

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