The Kasturi class is a ship class of two ships in service with the Royal Malaysian Navy. The ships are considered light frigates or large corvettes, and are called both in news sources.
The class comprises two ships, the KD Kasturi (F25) and KD Lekir (F26). The class is named after the lead ship of the class, in honour of Hang Kasturi who is one of the five famed warriors of the Malacca Sultanate. Though smaller than the Rahmat class, the Kasturi class is more offensively capable.
Design
The ships were built by the Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) shipyard in Kiel, Germany. While Blohm + Voss, Hamburg will build the first two Meko A100 New Generation Patrol Vessel of the Kedah class OPV (of a planned 26 ship class) facility for the Royal Malaysian Navy.
Kasturi and Lekir were launched on 14 May 1983 and commissioned on 15 August 1984. Both ships are presently serving with 22 Corvette Squadron and homeported at TLDM Lumut.
The Colombian Navy's four-ship Almirante Padilla class is based on the same Blohm + Voss FS 1500 design, but with a different weapons and electronics suite.
Armament
The Kasturi-class have a 100 mm/55 DP main gun, while the anti-ship capability is provided by the MM40 Exocet SSMs. However, the Kasturi class lacks an anti-aircraft missile system, and rely on MANPAD systems for air defence. The FS1500 design, which is modular, allows for future upgrades.
During LIMA 2007, Boustead Heavy Industries Sdn Bhd, the current builder of the Kedah class received a Letter of Intent from the Malaysian Government for the Kasturi Service Life Extension Programme. It was expected that the 100 mm gun would be replaced with a medium calibre gun (either the 76 mm Oto-Melara or the Bofors 57 mm gun. The aft gun would be removed completely and a two MSI 30 mm guns would replace the Emerlec guns. No SAMs are expected to be fitted on the ship.
Propulsion
The Kasturi class is powered by a CODAD propulsion system, provided by four MTU diesels driving two shafts and developing 21,460 hp driving two Controllable Pitch propellers. This gives a maximum speed of 28 knots, and a range of 7,000 nm at 14 knots.
Aircraft
The Kasturi class does not have a hangar facility, and thus does not have an embarked helicopter. The landing platform aft is suitable for an AgustaWestland SeaLynx 300 or the Eurocopter Fennec helicopter.
| Kasturi class frigate | |
|---|---|
| Displacement: | 1,500 tons standard 1,850 tons full load |
| Length: | 97.3 m (319 ft 3 in) |
| Beam: | 11.3 m (37 ft 1 in) |
| Draft: | 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in) |
| Propulsion: | 4 × MTU 20V 1163 TB92 diesels 21,460 hp 2 shafts |
| Speed: | 28 knots (52 km/h) |
| Complement: | 124 |
| Sensors and processing systems: | Thales Nederland DA-08 Air/Sea Search Radar Thales Defence navigation radar operating at I band Atlas Elektronik DSQS-21 hull mounted ASW sonar Signaal WM-22 fire control radar |
| Electronic warfare and decoys: | ESM with RAPIDS intercept Scimitar signal jammer 2 × Matra Dagaie decoy launcher |
| Armament: | 1 × Creusot-Loire Compact 100 mm/55 DP gun 1 × Bofors 57 mm/70 DP gun 2 × dual 30 mm Emerlec Mk.74 twin mountings AA gun 2 × 4 MBDA Exocet MM40-Block 2 1 × Bofors 375 mm twin barrel ASW RL MANPAD surface-to-air missiles |
| Aviation facilities: | Landing platform aft for light helicopter (Westland Super Lynx 300 or Eurocopter Fennec) |
