MEKO 100 RMN offshore patrol vessel
History
Malaysia
NameKedah
NamesakeKedah
BuilderBlohm+Voss, Hamburg
Laid down13 November 2001
Launched21 March 2003
Commissioned5 June 2006
IdentificationPennant number: F171
StatusActive
General characteristics
Class and typeKedah-class offshore patrol vessel
Displacement1,850 tons full load
Length91.1 m (299 ft)
Beam12.85 m (42.2 ft)
Draught3.4 m (11 ft)
PropulsionMain Propulsion: 2x Caterpillar 3616 (5,450kW) diesel, 16,000 bhp, 2 shafts, 2 controllable pitch propellers
Speed24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph)
Range6,050 nautical miles (11,200 km; 6,960 mi)
Endurance21 days
Complement78 (accom. for 98)
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Combat System: Atlas Elektronik COSYS-110 M1/ARGOS
  • Integrated Platform Management System: CAE
  • Search radar:EADS TRS-3D/ 16ES PESA radar
  • Fire control radars:Oerlikon Contraves TMX/EO X-band with electro-optic fire director
  • Thermal Imager: Rheinmetall TMEO
  • Sonar: L-3 ELAC Nautik NDS-3060 Obstacle Avoidance sonar
  • IFF System: Aeromaritime
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • ESM: Thales Sceptre-X
  • Decoy: Sippican ALEX/SRBOC chaff / decoy launching system
Armament
Aircraft carried1 x Super Lynx 300
Aviation facilities
  • Stern hangar
  • Helicopter landing platform

KD Kedah (F171) is the lead ship of Kedah-class offshore patrol vessel of the Royal Malaysian Navy. She was commissioned on 5 June 2006.

Development and design

In the 1990s, the Royal Malaysian Navy identified the need to replace their ageing patrol boats. These 31 m long vessels built by Vosper Ltd with a displacement of 96 tons had been in service since the 1960s.[1] After receiving government approval, the Malaysian Navy ran a competition for the design in 1996, planning to purchase 27 vessels over 15 years. The specifications aimed for a design with a displacement of 1,300 tons and an overall length of 80 m. It was already noted at that time that this resembled full-fledged corvettes rather than patrol vessels, but the eventual winning bid would turn out to be even larger.[2] The Australian bid proposed a Joint Patrol Vessel, to be designed by Australian Transfield Shipbuilding and subsequently purchased by the Malaysian Navy as well as the Royal Australian Navy.[3] Other contenders were the German Naval Group consortium as well as British shipyards Vosper Thornycroft and Yarrow Shipbuilders.

The Kedah class is based on the MEKO 100 corvette. It is designed to have low radar detectability, low noise, low heat dissipation, and have an economical cruising speed. The main radar, TRS-3D/16-ES is a fully coherent multi-mode phased array C-band radar capable of fully automatic detection, track initiation, and classification of various types of targets. It is capable to track 400 air and surface targets with the detection range up to 200 km and the corresponding update times between 1 and 6 seconds.[4] An advanced control system known as Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) is used to monitor and control the platform machinery of the ships, including propulsion, electrical, damage control, and auxiliary machinery and systems.[5][6]

Construction and career

Kedah was laid down on 13 November 2001 at Blohm+Voss, Hamburg and launched on 21 March 2003. In June 2006, after a total of 18 months of delays, the Royal Malaysian Navy commissioned KD Kedah.

References

  1. ↑ Saunders, Stephen (2004). Jane's Fighting Ships 2004-2005. Jane's Information Group. p. 459.
  2. ↑ "Australia to Push Warship Plan". The New York Times. 15 January 1996. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  3. ↑ Goldrick, James (2013). Navies of South-East Asia: A Comparative Study. Routledge. pp. 103–104.
  4. ↑ "TRS-3D/16-ES". Airbus Defence & Space.
  5. ↑ Saunders, Stephen (2004). Jane's Fighting Ships 2004-2005. Jane's Information Group. p. 455.
  6. ↑ "Navy vessel based on plug-and-play concept". The Star. 31 July 2006. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.