Laksamana-class corvette

Laksamana Muhammad Amin during Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercises
Class overview
Builders:	Fincantieri
Operators:	Royal Malaysian Navy
Completed:	4
Active:	4
General characteristics
Type:	Corvette
Displacement:	675 tons full load
Length:	62.3 m (204 ft)
Beam:	9.3 m (30.5 ft)
Draught:	2.8 m (9 ft)
Propulsion:	4 diesels 4 shafts developing 20,400 bhp (15,200 kW)
Speed:	36 knots (67 km/h)
Range:	2,300 nautical miles (4,300 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h)
Complement:	56
Sensors and processing systems:	RAN-12 air/surface search radar Kelvin Hughes 1007 navigation radar Diodon hull Sonar 2 RTN-10X fire control
Electronic warfare & decoys:	Gamma suite SCLAR chaff
Armament:	1 × 76 mm Oto Melara 1 × DARDO CIWS 12 × Aspide SAM 6 × Otomat Mk 2 SSM 2 × triple Eurotorp B515

The Laksamana Class is a class of small missile corvettes comprising 4 ships currently in service with the Royal Malaysian Navy.

History

The Laksamana class corvettes were originally purchased by the Iraqi Navy as the Assad class corvettes, but whose delivery were delayed and later cancelled following international sanctions against Iraq following the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq.

In October 1995 the Malaysian Ministry of Finance signed a contract with Italian company Fincantieri for the supply of two 650t missile corvettes for the Royal Malaysian Navy. A further two missile corvettes were ordered in February 1997. Some specific aspects of the ships' design were modified and the ships were refitted to meet the requirements of the Royal Malaysian Navy.

Ships

Laksamana Muhammed Amin performing security duties in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone.

The first two ships, named KD Laksamana Hang Nadim and KD Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil, were commissioned in July 1997. The second two, named KD Laksamana Muhammed Amin and KD Laksamana Tan Pusmah, were delivered in July 1999.

The ships are all named after famous Malay warriors who have earned the title Laksamana during their lifetimes. ("Laksamana" would translate as an Admiral in modern usage, but in the Malay Sultanates, the title would be more as a minister of the realm (a warrior) who is responsible for defense of the realm. The Laksamana is the second most senior position the Malay court, lower only to the Bendahara)

The four ships of the class are:

Hull No.	Name	Former name	Date Launched	Date Commissioned
F134	Laksamana Hang Nadim	Khalid ibn al Walid (F216)	5 July 1983	28 July 1997
F135	Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil	Saad ibn abi Wakkad (F218)	30 December 1983	28 July 1997
F136	Laksamana Muhammed Amin	Abdullah ibn Abi Serh (F214)	5 July 1983	July 1999
F137	Laksamana Tan Pusmah	Salah Aldin Ayoobi (F220)	30 March 1984	July 1999

All 4 ships of the Laksamana class are presently serving in the 24th corvette Squadron of the Royal Malaysian Navy.

Ship characteristics

Weapons suite

The Laksamana class is armed with the MBDA Otomat Mark 2/Teseo long-range sea-skimming missile with six missile launchers installed on the stern deck, three pointing to port and three pointing starboard. The missiles are armed with a 210 kg high-explosive warhead, fitted with impact and proximity fuses. The speed of the missile is Mach 0.9 and the range is 120 km.

A medium-range air defence is provided with the semi-active radar homing MBDA Albatros SAM system, providing defence against aircraft and incoming anti-ship missiles. The Albatros system fires the Mach 2.5 Aspide missile over a 15 km range to deliver a 33 kg warhead.

The Laksamana are also armed with two triple Whitehead Alenia ILAS-3 torpedolaunchers installed one each side on the main deck, firing the A244/S anti-submarine torpedoes that uses the active, passive and mixed mode homing to a target range of 7 km.

The class is armed with a 76 mm 62 calibre Oto Melara Super Rapid gun is installed on the bow deck in front of the citadel. The firing rate is 120 rounds/minute and range is up to 16 km. The ships are also armed with the 40 mm Oto Melara L70 twin gun in the multi-role mode over a range of 12.5 km and firing rate of 300 rounds/minute

A 105 mm decoy launcher is installed on both the port and starboard side of the ship. Each launcher has six launch tubes and is capable of firing illuminating rounds or chaff rounds to counter hostile radars and radar guided missiles.

Sensors

The ship's radar suite consists of a RAN 12L/X air and surface search radar, operating in D and I bands and a Kelvin Hughes 1007 navigation radar operating at I band. The ship is also fitted with a Global Positioning System (GPS).

The ship's electronic warfare suite comprises the INS-3 radar interceptor and the TQN-2 radar jammer

Underwater sensors provided is the ASO 94-41 hull mounted active search and attack sonar supplied by Atlas Elektronik.

Propulsion system

The ships are powered by 4 MTU 20V 956 TB 92 diesel engines developing 14.8MW sustained power driving four shafts. Three diesel generators each yield 280 KVA. The engines provide a dash speed of 36 knots (67 km/h), a maximum sustained speed of 34 knots (63 km/h) and an economical speed of 18 knots (33 km/h). The range at 18 knots (33 km/h) is 2,300 nautical miles (4,300 km).

Upgrade

The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) has confirmed that all four ships will be upgrade/SLEP to extend their service. The upgrade includes missile launchers,sensors, combat management system,fire control radar,Iff and chaff.

Similar classes

The 4 Assad (Wadi M'Ragh) corvettes built for Libya are of a similar design, the Laksamana being based on the Assad Class.

External links

• photograph of the KD Laksamana Tan Pusmah
• KD Laksamana Muhammad Amin (F 136)
• photograph of KD Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil
• photograph of KD Hang Nadim
• photograph of all 4 ships of the Laksamana Class from the official Royal Malaysian Navy site