Laksamana Class Corvette
Encyclopedia
The Laksamana Class is a class of small missile
corvettes comprising 4 ships currently in service with the Royal Malaysian Navy
.
as the Assad class corvette
s, 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
.
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:
All 4 ships of the Laksamana class are presently serving in the 24th corvette Squadron of the Royal Malaysian Navy
.
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 torpedo
launchers 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.
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
.
(Wadi M'Ragh) corvettes built for Libya
are of a similar design, the Laksamana being based on the Assad Class.
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
corvettes comprising 4 ships currently in service with the Royal Malaysian Navy
Royal Malaysian Navy
The Royal Malaysian Navy is the naval arm of Malaysian Armed Forces. All commissioned ships of the RMN have the prefix KD , which means Royal Ship.-Straits Settlement Naval Volunteer Reserve:...
.
History
The Laksamana class corvettes were originally purchased by the Iraqi NavyIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
as the Assad class corvette
Assad class corvette
The Assad class corvette were originally built for Iraq during the Iran–Iraq War, by Fincantieri in Italy. Six ships were ordered in 1981. They were completed just before Operation Desert Storm, and were never delivered because of the UN arms embargo. Four of the six ships were sold to the...
s, but whose delivery were delayed and later cancelled following international sanctions
International sanctions
International sanctions are actions taken by countries against others for political reasons, either unilaterally or multilaterally.There are several types of sanctions....
against Iraq following the invasion of Kuwait
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
by Iraq.
In October 1995 the Malaysian Ministry of Finance signed a contract with Italian company Fincantieri
Fincantieri
Fincantieri - Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A. is a shipbuilding company based in Trieste, Italy. It was formed in 1959 and is the largest shipbuilder in the Mediterranean, and one of the largest in Europe...
for the supply of two 650t missile corvettes for the Royal Malaysian Navy
Royal Malaysian Navy
The Royal Malaysian Navy is the naval arm of Malaysian Armed Forces. All commissioned ships of the RMN have the prefix KD , which means Royal Ship.-Straits Settlement Naval Volunteer Reserve:...
. 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
Royal Malaysian Navy
The Royal Malaysian Navy is the naval arm of Malaysian Armed Forces. All commissioned ships of the RMN have the prefix KD , which means Royal Ship.-Straits Settlement Naval Volunteer Reserve:...
.
Ships
The first two ships, named KD Laksamana Hang NadimLaksamana Hang Nadim
Laksamana Hang Nadim was a warrior of the Johor-Riau during the Portuguese occupation of Malacca.After the fall of Malacca to the Portuguese in 1511, Sultan Mahmud withdrew from Teloh Naming to Ulu Muar, then settled in Pagoh and Bentayan...
and KD Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil
Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil
Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil Paduka Raja was a Malay warrior of the Johor Sultanate. He played a major role in trying to wrest Malacca from Portuguese control.-Laksamana Tun Jamil and Portuguese Melaka:...
, 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
Laksamana
The Laksamana is a position within the armed forces, similar to the position of admiral in Malay people sultanates and in present-day countries like Malaysia and Indonesia...
during their lifetimes. ("Laksamana" would translate as an Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
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
Laksamana
The Laksamana is a position within the armed forces, similar to the position of admiral in Malay people sultanates and in present-day countries like Malaysia and Indonesia...
is the second most senior position the Malay court, lower only to the Bendahara
Bendahara
Bendahara is an administrative position within classical Malay kingdoms before the intervention of European powers during the 19th century. A bendahara was appointed by a sultan and was a hereditary post. It was the office that is held by bendahara family...
)
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
Royal Malaysian Navy
The Royal Malaysian Navy is the naval arm of Malaysian Armed Forces. All commissioned ships of the RMN have the prefix KD , which means Royal Ship.-Straits Settlement Naval Volunteer Reserve:...
.
Weapons suite
The Laksamana class is armed with the MBDAMBDA
MBDA is a missile developer and manufacturer with operations in France, Britain, Germany, Italy, and the United States. It was formed by a merger of Aérospatiale-Matra Missiles , Finmeccanica and Matra BAe Dynamics in December 2001. In 2003 the company had 10,000 employees...
Otomat Mark 2/Teseo long-range sea-skimming missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
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
Warhead
The term warhead refers to the explosive material and detonator that is delivered by a missile, rocket, or torpedo.- Etymology :During the early development of naval torpedoes, they could be equipped with an inert payload that was intended for use during training, test firing and exercises. This...
, fitted with impact and proximity fuses
Proximity fuze
A proximity fuze is a fuze that is designed to detonate an explosive device automatically when the distance to target becomes smaller than a predetermined value or when the target passes through a given plane...
. The speed of the missile is Mach
Mach number
Mach number is the speed of an object moving through air, or any other fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance for its particular physical conditions, including those of temperature and pressure...
0.9 and the range is 120 km.
A medium-range air defence is provided with the semi-active radar homing
Semi-active radar homing
Semi-active radar homing, or SARH, is a common type of missile guidance system, perhaps the most common type for longer-range air-to-air and surface-to-air missile systems. The name refers to the fact that the missile itself is only a passive detector of a radar signal – provided by an external ...
MBDA
MBDA
MBDA is a missile developer and manufacturer with operations in France, Britain, Germany, Italy, and the United States. It was formed by a merger of Aérospatiale-Matra Missiles , Finmeccanica and Matra BAe Dynamics in December 2001. In 2003 the company had 10,000 employees...
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
Alenia Aeronautica
Alenia Aeronautica, a Finmeccanica subsidiary, is a European aerospace company from Italy. Its subsidiaries include Alenia Aermacchi and Alenia Aeronavali...
ILAS-3 torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
launchers installed one each side on the main deck, firing the A244/S anti-submarine
Anti-submarine weapon
An anti-submarine weapon is any one of a range of devices that are intended to act against a submarine, and its crew, to destroy the vessel or to destroy or reduce its capability as a weapon of war...
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
Oto Melara
Oto Melara is an Italian defence company with factories in Brescia and La Spezia. It was founded in 1905 as a joint venture of Vickers and Terni. During World War I, Vickers Terni produced many weapons with calibre 40 mm and upwards. In 1929 the company was renamed Odero Terni Orlando with the...
Super Rapid
Otobreda 76 mm
The Otobreda 76 mm gun is a naval artillery piece built by the Italian defence conglomerate Otobreda. It is based on the Oto Melara 76mm/L62 Allargato, which was bigger and heavier...
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
DARDO
DARDO is a Close-in weapon system built by the Italian companies Breda and Oto Melara. It is composed of two Breda-built Bofors 40 mm firing high explosive shells, a fire-control radar and a fire-control system...
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 HughesKelvin Hughes
Kelvin Hughes Ltd is a designer and manufacturer of marine navigation systems and a supplier of navigational data to both the commercial marine and government marketplace...
1007 navigation radar operating at I band. The ship is also fitted with a Global Positioning System
Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
(GPS).
The ship's electronic warfare
Electronic warfare
Electronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults via the spectrum. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly...
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
Atlas Elektronik
Atlas Elektronik GmbH is a naval/marine electronics and systems business based in Bremen, Germany. It is involved in the development of integrated sonar systems for submarines and heavyweight torpedoes....
.
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 (71 km/h), a maximum sustained speed of 34 knots (67 km/h) and an economical speed of 18 knots (35 km/h). The range at 18 knots (35 km/h) is 2300 nautical miles (4,259.6 km).Similar classes
The 4 AssadAssad class corvette
The Assad class corvette were originally built for Iraq during the Iran–Iraq War, by Fincantieri in Italy. Six ships were ordered in 1981. They were completed just before Operation Desert Storm, and were never delivered because of the UN arms embargo. Four of the six ships were sold to the...
(Wadi M'Ragh) corvettes built for Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
are of a similar design, the Laksamana being based on the Assad Class.