Jottings of Xnuripilot: What's So Special?

Jottings of Xnuripilot: What's So Special?

Good read for those interested in ATM's history during the war against PKM.

Rescue Vessel Coming

Just to follow up on the Royal Malaysian Navy Submarine Escape and Rescue Service procurement with the following news that may have escaped attention due to the event that coincided with Navy Day. Details on the procurement remain scarce though.

The RMN's fleet modernisation programme included the acquisition of a submarine escape and rescue vessel, anti-submarine warfare helicopters, the second batch of six littoral combatant ships maritime patrol aeroplanes and training vessels.

"While awaiting delivery of these assets, friendly navies (like the USare prepared to assist us to recover our vessels and crew should any untoward incident occur," Aziz said.

The Mostly Untold Story

I think there would be enough postings in the cyber world of the violence supposedly created by both sides of the antagonists in yesterday's Bersih 3.0 rally in Kuala Lumpur.

I just want to link videos of the other side of what they call Pigs, Dogs and Bitches, pardon my English.

and don't forget the kenduri.

Ready For The Kenduri

To those who want to attend tomorrow's kenduri at PULAPOL Kuala Lumpur, rest assured that the holding area surrounded by barbed wire with the tents and mobile toilets are ready for your arrival. The tourist buses to transport you are also on standby. Hope not to see you there tomorrow.

Happy 78th Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia!

Onwards to a better Navy!

Don't Get Over-excited

There was a recent flurry of exchanges on the internet on the news that Malaysia has expressed interest to obtain Ex-US Navy Oliver Hazard Perry class Frigates and Whidbey Islan class Landing Ship Docks, as recently reported by Jane's.

JDW 24-Apr-2012 Malaysia looking to buy second-hand US frigates and LSDs

Jane's Defence Weekly - 25 April, 2012 - 23:03

The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) has told the US Navy (USN) it may be interested in buying Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates scheduled for decommissioning in 2013 and the early retired Whidbey Island class landing ship docks (LSDs). "We have registered our interest," RMN chief Admiral Tan Sri Aziz Jaafar told reporters on 23 April in Kuala Lumpur. Adm Tan Sri Aziz also said the RMN and Royal Malaysian Air Force had told the government of a maritime patrol aircraft requirement. 

Personally I would not like to see the purchase of the Perry class frigates as they are now no more than over-glorified gunboats without missile capability, and even to refurbish them would cost tens of millions of dollars as experienced by the Pakistani Navy with their Alamgir class unit.  Such money would be put to better use to arm our own Kedah-class patrol vessels that are definitely newer and more modern anyway. Even if we would be so interested to obtain that particular frigate class, I would rather see it directed to efforts to acquire Royal Australian Navy's Adelaide class ships that has been modernised and upraded as compared to the USN units that is also scheduled to be decommissioned at the same time.

However interest in the LSD would be a different kettle of fish altogether as the Whidbey's should be hot transfers once decommissioned in 2013. This would quickly provide us the amphibious capacity seriously required since our sole LST Ex-Inderapura was destroyed in a fire leaving only two small logistics vessels to take on the job. Nonetheless a certain local dockyard may kick-up a storm as they have been working together with a Korean shipyard to design and  build the Navy's MPSS units while awaiting the official go-ahead. However this would not matter much if the LSDs are meant to complement rather than replace this project or in other words as a bridging project until our own SGPV/LCS and MPSS units are commissioned.

In conclusion however as per the title of this post, please do not get overexcited as this is just an expression of interest, so there is no certainty that we would be able to purchase the ships as there may be other countries that are competing to obtain the units as well. This is also subject to the possibility that we can even get Congressional approval to purchase in the first place. So let's just wait and see eh!

Dear Pak Menteri!

My dear Minister of Defence.

If you do not engage with the defence bloggers who blog about military affairs without any political baggage, how do you expect to win the cyberspace war. With the facts that are transparent, we defence bloggers can easily defeat the wrongly informed allegations made by these mischievous bloggers that you are referring to. We attend defence shows and talk to the stakeholders in the military defence world, and we believe that we will blog in an informed way. But sometimes we wish that you appreciate us more by giving us access to write more material that would surely be more positive than those uninformed allegations. For one we already know even if Malaysia buys the Anoa it will be for the UN mission as the AV-8 will not be ready in time for this short term requirement. And we can easily counter the allegations that these people make. But if you do not want to be forthcoming and embrace the GTP concept for your ministry, especially since your ministry's PR machinery is not working that well, then how can we blog in a way that would be more positive for Malaysia's defence needs. Think about it eh!

And my Dear Minister, I personally think that Malaysians who visited the DSA knows more about your ministry's plan for the ANOA than the Indonesian bloggers that you refer to. It is just that we hold ourselves to a higher reporting standard than what you may think so we do not glamorise such matters without more solid information.

In case you are wondering what I am talking about, it is in the contents of this article.

The Star Online > Nation

Saturday April 21, 2012

Don’t confuse people with APC issue, bloggers told

KUALA LUMPUR: Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has told pro-Opposition bloggers not to confuse the people with the issue of acquisition of 6x6 armoured cars with the locally-made AV8.

He said the Government was studying the suitability of the 6x6 armoured car for use by the army under UN Interim Force In Lebanon (Unifil), while the RM8bil AV8 project was a plan for a made-in-Malaysia armoured car.

“They should understand that AV8 is an armoured personnel carrier (APC) with 12 variants for use in Malaysia, while the 6x6 APC is for Unifil,” he said after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of understanding bet-ween the National Service Training Department and Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris here yesterday.

Dr Ahmad Zahid was asked to comment on claims in Opposition blogs quoting Indonesian sources as saying that the Government had selected 32 Anoa armoured cars manufactured by PT Pindad of Indonesia because it was cheaper than the AV8.

He said the Government evaluated several 6x6 armoured cars from abroad, including the Anoa from Indonesia, but had not made a decision.

Dr Ahmad Zahid clarified that the need for a 6x6 armoured car for Malaysian soldiers in Lebanon was pressing because the existing Condor, which has been in use since the 1980s, was no longer suitable.

He said the development of the AV8 might take up to even 15 years.

“The prototype is expected to be completed next year but for Unifil, the Condor is not suitable as it is 4x4. We need a 6x6.”

On another matter, Dr Ahmad Zahid said water-based activities at national service training camps nationwide would resume in the near future.

By the way, I just don't buy Deftech's reasons for not showing the AV8's mock-up that you promised and replacing it with these simple displays that are so sterile.

It really does not make sense to have such a big pavillion to house a model on a moving pedestal that actually shouts "FALL BACK PLAN". So either make sure your supplier keeps your promise, or do not make such a promise in the first place.