More Details on KD Keris

29 Januari 2020

KD Keris arriving at the Sepanggar naval base jetty for the welcoming ceremony (photo :  Malaysian Defence)

SHAH ALAM: KD Keris is the first RMN vessel to be fitted with the MTU 4000 series engines, says its commanding officer, Commander Mohd Zulkarnain Mohd Rawi. Although he did not say it is likely that the other three Littoral Mission Ships (LMS) are also fitted with the same engine.

30mm CS/AN3 RWS (photo :  Malaysian Defence)

Keris is also the first RMN ship to be fitted with two diesel engined boats which launched and recovered from the stern of the ship while it is moving. The boats could fit 10 sailors at one time.

One of the two 12.7mm machine gun in the deck area behind the bridge (photo :  Malaysian Defence)

It must be noted that most of the RMN fleet including the missile and gun boats and also the Lekiu and Kasturi class frigates are also equipped with MTU engines. Even the two oldest vessels in RMN service, KD Sri Perlis and KD Sri Johor are also fitted with MTU engines, though these are likely around 55 years old already.

(photo :  Malaysian Defence)

The two MTU 4000 series engines on Keris, powered two fixed pitch propellors to a maximum speed of 22 knots. The ship is also fitted with three diesel generators and a single emergency diesel generators.

Mohd Zulkarnain, 39, is a former CO of KD Todak, an FAC (Gun) ship said the Keris is armed with a single 30mm CS/AN3 remote control gun. It is also fitted with two 12.7mm gun mounted on the deck area of the bridge. He spoke to the media after the welcoming ceremony for Keris at Sepanggar naval base, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, on January 17.

The sensor on top of KD Keris (photo :  Malaysian Defence)

The 30mm gun could be fired manually from the mount or remotely from the combat information centre. Keris‘s CIC is located behind the bridge, a layout similar to the Kasturi class frigates. Keris’s bridge equipment are a mixture of China and European with pinyin and English markings.

Sensors on top the bridge of KD Keris (photo :  Malaysian Defence)

According to the RMN’s handout, the ship’s equipment include an air/surface radar, navigation radar, an eletro optical tracking system (EOTS), a combat management system (CMS) and an eletronic support measure (ESM). The air/surface radar, EOTS, CMS and ESM are manufactured by China’s Jiangsu Automated Research Institute (JARI). The navigation radar and scanner radar are from Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine.

Sabah Governor Tun Juhar at the bridge of KD Keris (photo :  Malaysian Defence)

Keris was built at the Wuchang Shipbuilding Industrial Group at Wuhan, China. Her first steel was cut on July 31, 2018, launched on April 15, 2019, delivered to RMN on December 31, 2019. She was commissioned into service on January 6, 2020.

For the moment, she will be home ported at Sepanggar naval base.

(Malaysian Defence)