Lekiu
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General Characteristics | |
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| Displacement: | 2,270 tons full load | |
| Length: | 106 x meters (347.5 feet) | |
| Beam: | 12.75 meters (42 feet) | |
| Draught: | 3.08 meters (10 feet) | |
| Armament: | Guns : 1 x Bofors 57mm/70 Dual Purpose Guns + 2 x MSI 30 mm AA guns,
SAM : Seawolf SHORADS with 16 vertical launcher SAM, SSM : 2 x 4 cell MM40 Blk II Exocet SSM, ASW : 2 x B515 triple 12.75 inch torpedo for launching Whitehead 324mm tubes |
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| Electronics: | COMMAND AND CONTROL Alenia Marconi Systems (now BAE Systems Insyte) Nautis F combat data system
Air/Sea Search Radar : Ericson Sea Giraffe Surface search radar operating at G and H bands + Thales Netherlands (Signaal) DA-08 air search operating at E and F bands, Navigation Radar : Thales Defence navigation radar operating at I band. ASW : Atlas Elektronik DSQS-21C hull mounted sonar Fire Control : 2 x Marconi 1802SW, Alenia Marconi Systems Nautis F combat data system, Radamec Series 2000 Optronic weapon director, BAE SYSTEMS 1802 fire control radars operating at I and J bands EW : Mentor-A suite, type V 3001 thermal imager Decoy : 2 Dagaie decoy, chaff RL, Decoy 2 Super Barricade 12 barrelled launchers, Graseby Sea Siren torpedo decoy Weapon Director: A Radamec Series 2000 Optronic installed on roof of the bridge Thermal Imager: BAE SYSTEMS Type V 3001 |
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| Aircraft: | 10 square metres aft helicopter deck with hangar; 1 x light helicopter embarked (Westland Super Lynx 300) | |
| Propulsion: | 4 x diesels driving 2 shafts, producing 16,000 bhp | |
| Speed: | 28 kts | |
| Range: | 5000 miles | |
| Complement: | 146 crew with 18 officers | |
| Motto: | ||
The Lekiu Class frigate is presently the most modern major assets of the Royal Malaysian Navy. The class comprised two vessels, F29 KD Jebat and F 30 KD Lekiu. The Class in named after the second ship of the class which was launched earlier than the Jebat.
The ships were build by Yarrow Shipbuilders UK in Glasgow (which is now part of BAE Systems Marine) from the FS 2000 light frigate design. The Lekiu was launched in December 1994 while the Jebat was launched in May 1995. The Jebat carries the lower pennant number (F 29) to signify the seniority of this ship, which accommodates the Admiral of the Royal Malaysian Navy. (Hang Jebat succeeded Hang Tuah as Laksamana (Admiral) during the Melaka Sultanate, while Hang Lekiu was never made a Laksamana.)
The purchase of the 2 ships of the Lekiu class involved a major Transfer of Technology program as well as an off set program where some portion of the contract value would involve purchases and services contracted to Malaysian companies.
Delivery and operational status were delayed due to integration of combat systems problems. Both ships were commissioned in March and May 1999. The ships was a huge jump in capability compared to the frigates then operated by the Royal Malaysian Navy, the F24 KD Rahmat and F76 KD Hang Tuah (ex-HMS Mermaid).
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[edit] Weaponry
The Lekiu frigates were armed with the MBDA (formerly EADS Aerospatiale) MM40 Exocet Blk. II anti-ship missile, installed in two four-cell launchers the midship section. The launchers are installed at a fixed angle of elevation, in a crossed configuration, one facing port and one starboard. The sea-skimming missile approaches the target at high subsonic speed of Mach 0.9.
The Lekiu class is armed with the vertical launched Seawolf short-range missile which provides protection against supersonic aircraft and anti-ship missiles to a range of 6km. A solid fuel propulsion rocket powers the missile to a speed of Mach 2.5.
The ships' main gun is the Bofors 57mm gun, firing 2.4kg shells at a rate of 220 rounds/min. at a with the range of 17km. Anti aircraft p[rotection is provided by two MSI 30 mm guns firing 0.36kg rounds to a range of 10km at a firing rate up to 650 rounds/min. No CIWS gun is fitted on the Lekiu class.
ASW weaponry comprises the Whitehead 324mm B515 triple tube torpedo launchers for lightweight anti-submarine launchers mounted on of the roof of the helicopter hangar. The ships also carry the Sea Siren towed torpedo decoy supplied by BAE Systems, controlled over a serial data link to decoy passive and active homing torpedoes.
[edit] Aircraft
The Lekiu Class is equipped with a hangar and a helicopter deck with a single landing spot to accommodate an AgustaWestland Lynx helicopter, though the landing deck is capable of supporting a larger helicopter.
[edit] Propulsion
The Lekiu Class has a CODAD combined diesel and diesel configuration. The ship has four MTU 20V 1163 TB93 diesel engines, rated at 24.5MW sustained power driving two shafts with Kamewa controllable pitch propellers. The ship can attain a speed of 28 knots and has a range of over 5,000 miles.
[edit] Delays
The Lekiu Class faced serious delays due to difficulties in the systems integrations of the weaponsa nd weapons control system (i.e., software problems). These problems were eventually overcome and the delivery and commissioning of the 2 ships was completed in 7 October and 10 November 1999.
[edit] New Orders
Najib Razak, the Malaysian Minister of Defence announced at the Farnborough Air Show that Malaysia would be buying 2 frigates from the United Kingdom. [1] The Evening Times published on 20 July 2006 that the Clyde shipyard has won a contract to build two Jebat (sic) class warships for Malaysia. [2] [3] The two ships will be completed at Sabah Shipyard as a condition of the deal.
[edit] Similar Class
The 3 Nakhoda Ragam Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) ordered by Brunei is from a similar 2000 design, though lighter and configured differently from the Lekius. Brunei refused to take delivery of the vessels of this class due to a dispute. It has been proposed that the Royal Malaysian Navy take into service the Nakhoda Ragam ships, but there has been no development on this proposal.
