KD Keris

KD Keris (111)
History
Malaysia
Name	KD Keris
Builder	China Shipbuilding and Offshore International Co. Ltd
Launched	15 April 2019
Commissioned	6 January 2020
Homeport	Sepanggar, Sabah
Status	In active service
General characteristics
Class and type	Keris-class littoral mission ship
Displacement	700 long tons (711 t) full load
Length	69 m (226 ft 5 in)
Beam	9 m (29 ft 6 in)
Draught	2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)
Speed	24 knots (44 km/h)
Range	2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h)
Complement	45
Sensors and processing systems	SR-47AG search radar HEOS-100 & HEOS-300 fire control radar
Armament	1 x 30 mm H/PJ-17 2 x 12.7 mm Browning M2HB machine guns[1][2]

KD Keris is the lead ship of Keris-class littoral mission ship of the Royal Malaysian Navy. She built by Chinese company China Shipbuilding and Offshore International Co. Ltd and this class of ship was the first major Chinese made equipment purchased by RMN.[3][4]

Development

Keris was first built on 31 July 2018 at Wucang Port, Wuhan and was launched by then wife of the Minister of Defense, Normah Alwi on 15 April 2019. Keris physical handover ceremony to the Government of Malaysia was completed by the Final Acceptance Committee led by the Secretary of the Procurement Division, Ministry of Defense, Datuk Ahmad Husaini Abdul Rahman, on 31 December 2019. She then commissioned on 6 January 2020 at China Shipbuilding and Offshore International Co. Ltd facility in Wucang Port, Qidong, Shanghai, China.[5][6]

References

1. "PJ17". deagel.com. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
2. "Keris On Sea Trials". malaysiandefence.com. 19 October 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
3. "Malaysia aims to replace all 50 ships in navy". The Straits Times. 22 March 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
4. "Littoral Mission Ship". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
5. "Keris Launched". malaysiandefence.com. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
6. "Royal Malaysian Navy commissions first Keris-class Littoral Mission Ship". Jane's 360. 6 January 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2020.