SHAH ALAM: AS I had mentioned in my previous posting, the Damen Schelde entry for the SGPV/LCS tender had been the early favourite for programme. And it appears that the Navy seemed to prefer it to other candidates despite the fact that an almost similar vessel is being build in Indonesia for TNI-AL.
The Gowind by DCNS is the other short listed entrant and by all account would have scored a victory if not for its insistence on putting its own system on the ships and other French made weaponsm
The Shipyard is apparently backing the French ship. I was told the reason why but since my source cannot be identified I wont mentioned it here. Suffice to say that its a plenty and one needs cojones of steel to back away from it now especially with many local companies/patrons benefiting if they choose the Dutch ship. So basically its DCNS against the rest of Malaysia then.
Anyhow, the Navy is still expecting the Sigma to be chosen with non-French weapons and some French systems on board as its LCS. I am told one of the non-French weapon slated for the ships needed export clearance from the US and it had been cleared already.
By the way, this is the last time, I will be calling the ships as LCS. After this I will call them, frigates. A rose by any other name will still smell as sweet, as the Bard once said.
And notwithstanding the design chosen, the cost of the ship will be much higher than the one announced earlier.
–Malaysian Defence
If you like this post, buy me an espresso. Paypal Payment
View Comments (35)
We might as well call the Kasturi and Lekir light frigates after they are done with the SLEP. Seen the pics of Lekir in action firing the MM40 Exocet Block II in OSTEX 2011. I thought the ship is still in dockyard in Lumut for the SLEP, did i thought wrong?
There seem to be a factual disconnect/typos in para 3. Care to explain more? tq
Reply
Which one?
If the cost is double , its going to be a major problem for BN. Unless they think they can get away with it.
So probably the announcement of the winner will be made after the elections.
Dont forget ,MMEA becoming the Royal CoastGuard or something similiar. They need all kinds of new assets.
Now we have 3 maritime commando units. Freaky.
LCS this project is not. The LCS is a stealth catamaran with massive capabilities.
U r right Marhalim. Call it right , it should be a frigate with multimission capabilities.
Reply
By calling SGPV/LCS it has open all sorts of accusations..
RMN play with new toys that required US approval and definitely NSM..kiss good bye to Brahmos maybe for our future MKM missile..
Zamyra,
As has already been explained to you, on a number of occasions, EVERYTHING and ANYTHING from every country requires export approval NOT just from the U.S. And what exactly does this have to do with arming the MKM with the Brahmos and just how does this affect the chances of Brahmos being selected?
Hazwan,
When the first entered service the Kasturi class was classified as a 'light frigate', then 'corvette' and now 'frigate'. The Kasturi is in drydock.
According to Utusan the NSM is a favourite which I find very surprising.
http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2011&dt=0727&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Polis_%26_Tentera&pg=te_02.htm
"And notwithstanding the design chosen, the cost of the ship will be much higher than the one announced earlier." - Marhalim
No surprise! The costs associated with every major procurement have always been above standard. Are bribery, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, patronage, graft, and embezzlement, so bad that we can never get a good deal?
@azlan
please understand what I means all about. what marhalim mention about non-French weapon just get export clearance from Uncle Sam due to this weapon contains sensitive Uncle Sam military technology inside.
Everybody now weapon for export must get approval from export country but why Norway made weapons still need Uncle Sam clearance..
right now IAF busy testing Brahmos for their MKI.in the future if this collaboration successful maybe MKM will be equipped with same toys too..clearly RMN interested with block II or NSM not Brahmos this time..
The ...l Shipyard is apparently backing the French ship. I was told the reason why but since my source cannot be identified I wont mentioned it here. Suffice to say that its a plenty and one needs cojones of steel to back away from it.......
Up till here my understanding is it refers to the French (lots of (undisclosed) reason and very difficult to reject).
..... now especially with many local companies/patrons benefiting if they choose the Dutch ship.
But at the end of your sentence you mentioned the Dutch.
Pardon my England. TQ
Reply
Simply by going Dutch the buck will be shared by everybody but by going French, the shipyard will garner a lion share of the other contracts apart the shipbuilding of course. That's the reason the other companies are hopping mad...
Zamyra,
Then what exactly is the point you're trying to make?? Any aircraft, vehicle, missile, etc, , made by a 3rd country, that contains U.S. made components cannot be exported without approval.
The RMAF has no intention anytime soon of ordering the Brahamos. Apart from the needed funds, each MKM will also have to be send back to Russia for structural and software modifications and this will take at least several months if not more. The Brahmos is simply to large to mounted on a pylon without modifications to the airframe.
We paid a huge amount of money for ToT to get the Meko technology from the Germans. Now with this LCS, all that was spent is money down the drain. We are now going to spend an enormous amount of money for French or Dutch ship technology. See how the gomen waste money. If the MAF have very short term planning that changes with each Chief, like us changing underwear, might as well forget about ToT since it never gets fully developed. Cheaper to buy the ships outright, why pay royalty and what not,