KD Laksamana Tan Pusmah (F137)

Sister ship KD Laksamana Muhammad Amin
History
Iraq
NameSalah Ad Din Alayoobi
NamesakeSaladin
OrderedFebruary 1981
BuilderFincantieri, Marghera
Laid down17 September 1982
Launched30 March 1984
Completed1988
IdentificationPennant number: F220
FateNever delivered to Iraq due to sanctions, later sold to Malaysia 1997
Malaysia
NameKD Laksamana Tan Pusmah
Acquired20 February 1997
Commissioned31 July 1999
IdentificationPennant number: F137
StatusIn active service
General characteristics
Class and typeLaksamana-class corvette
Displacement675 long tons (686 t) full load
Length62.3 m (204 ft 5 in)
Beam9.3 m (30 ft 6 in)
Draught2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)
Propulsion
  • 4 MTU 20V 956 TB 92 diesels
  • 4 shafts developing
  • 20,400 bhp (15,200 kW)
Speed36 knots (67 km/h)
Range2,300 nautical miles (4,300 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h)
Complement56
Sensors and
processing systems
  • RAN-12 air/surface search radar
  • RTN-10X fire control radar
  • Kelvin Hughes 1007 navigation radar
  • Diodon hull sonar
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • Gamma suite
  • SCLAR chaff
Armament
NotesThe missile might be removed due to being obsolete[1][2]

KD Laksamana Tan Pusmah (F137) is the fourth Laksamana-class corvette currently in service with the 24th corvette Squadron of the Royal Malaysian Navy. She built by Italian company Fincantieri based on the Type 550 corvette design.[3]

Development[edit]

Main article: Laksamana-class corvette

The Laksamana-class corvettes of the Royal Malaysian Navy are modified Assad-class corvettes built by Fincantieri, Italy. They were originally ordered by Iraqi Navy in February 1981.[4] The corvettes were never delivered to Iraq and instead refitted and sold to Malaysia in mid 1990s.[5]

Service history[edit]

Laksamana Tan Pusmah were originally ordered by the Iraqi Navy as Salah Ad Din Alayoobi (F220). Her keel was laid down on 17 September 1982, launched on 30 March 1984 and she was completed in 1988.[4] Upon her completion, Salah Ad Din Alayoobi was laid up at Muggiano due to trade embargo during Iran–Iraq War that prevented her from being delivered to Iraq.[4] She was finally released for delivery in 1990, but as Iraq was again embargoed following its invasion of Kuwait, the ship was kept laid up by Fincantieri. It was proposed that she would be requisitioned by Italian Navy or sold to either Morocco or Colombia.[6]

Royal Malaysian Navy signed a contract with Fincantieri for Salah Ad Din Alayoobi and her sister Abdullah Ibn Abi Serh on 20 February 1997. She and her sister were refitted at Muggiano and later arrived in Malaysia in September 1999.[5] The ship was commissioned as KD Laksamana Tan Pusmah on 31 July 1999.[5] Since 1997, she served tenaciously and close to the end of their lifespan. Due to this, RMN confirmed that she and other sister ships will be going to refit to extending their service life and improving combat capabilities.[7]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ "Malaysian Defence - Back To Future II".
  2. ^ "Back in The Saddle Again".
  3. ^ "RMN Official Page - Laksamana Class".
  4. ^ a b c Sharpe 1989, p. 282
  5. ^ a b c Saunders 2009, p. 497
  6. ^ Gardiner, Chumbley & Budzbon 1995, p. 188-189
  7. ^ "Back To The Future". malaysiandefence.com.

References[edit]

  • Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen; Budzbon, Przemysław (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9781557501325.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen; Budzbon, Przemysław (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9781557501325.
  • Saunders, Stephen (2009). Jane's Fighting Ships 2009-2010. Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0710628886.
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