(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — On April 19th, Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) chief Admiral Tan Sri Abdul Rahman bin Ayob visited PT PAL in Surabaya, Indonesia, a state-owned shipbuilding company of the neighboring country.
Admiral Tan Sri Abdul Rahman and his delegation were welcomed by the top management of PT PAL Indonesia and briefed on the company’s operations before being taken to the shipyard to observe ongoing shipbuilding activities.
PT PAL Indonesia is one of the largest local shipbuilding companies in the republic, producing various types of ships including the Multi-Role Support Ship (MRSS) KRI BANJARMASIN for the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) and the Landing Platform Dock BRP TARLAC for the Philippine Navy.
The Royal Malaysian Navy is currently refining its acquisition plans for MRSS as part of the 15 to 5 Transformation Plan.
In a message commemorating the 90th Anniversary of RMN on Tuesday, Admiral Abdul Rahman stated that besides Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) and Littoral Mission Ships (LMS), the long-delayed MRSS vessels would also be acquired.
Last April, Admiral Abdul Rahman mentioned that the acquisition of MRSS had to be postponed to accommodate other asset acquisitions.
“Given our country’s geographic position, divided into two regions separated by the South China Sea with the nearest distance of 568.42 kilometers, we require such platforms for logistical support and to strengthen our needs.”
“However, the acquisition of MRSS has been temporarily deferred to make way for the acquisition of Littoral Mission Ships (LMS) and the completion of the acquisition of Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) as well as the combat capability enhancement program for existing assets.”
“The acquisition of MRSS will be planned in the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13),” he said in an interview with local Malay-language newspapers.
Several senior officials of the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) have also stated that the acquisition of two MRSS vessels for TLDM cannot be delayed any longer; in fact, the acquisition of such vessels needs to be expedited.
According to them, there is an urgent need for RMN to acquire MRSS vessels as the existing MRSS vessels are nearly 40 years old.
For the past few years, several local and foreign companies have come forward to offer their MRSS vessel designs to RMN.
Among the companies offering their MRSS vessels are Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), Mitsui from Japan, PT PAL from Indonesia, Damen Schelde, and CSOC from China.
To further solidify its operations, RMN requires at least four MRSS vessels, with two of these vessels operating in the Western Fleet (Lumut) and the remaining two operating in the Eastern Fleet (Sabah).
The MRSS vessel offered by Mitsui Japan weighs 13,000 tons and has the capacity to carry up to 500-800 troops, equivalent to a battalion.
Moreover, the MRSS vessel offered by Mitsui E&S is also capable of carrying up to 16 main battle tanks, six armored vehicles, and an ambulance.
This Mitsui MRSS vessel is also equipped with two Phalanx CIWS systems. Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) from South Korea, on the other hand, has introduced the proposed design of the HDL-13000 MRSS vessel to meet TLDM’s requirements.
The HDL-13000 MRSS vessel by HHI has a length of 160 meters and weighs up to 13,000 tons.
The main function of this South Korean-made MRSS vessel is logistic support and Humanitarian and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations, in addition to conducting amphibious missions.
To carry out amphibious missions, this HHI-designed MRSS vessel is capable of carrying up to 16 main battle tanks, six multi-purpose armored vehicles, and hundreds of fully armed troops.
Additionally, on its flight deck, the MRSS vessel can accommodate three H225M helicopters belonging to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (TUDM) to support the vessel’s operations. — DSA