KD Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil (F135)

KD Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil (F135)
History
Iraq
Name	Saad Ibn Abi Wakkad
Namesake	Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas
Ordered	February 1981
Builder	Fincantieri, Marghera
Laid down	17 September 1982
Launched	30 December 1983
Completed	1988
Identification	Pennant number: F218
Fate	Never delivered to Iraq due to sanctions, later sold to Malaysia 1995
Malaysia
Name	KD Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil
Namesake	Tun Abdul Jamil
Acquired	26 October 1995
Commissioned	28 July 1997
Identification	Pennant number: F135
Status	In active service
General characteristics
Class and type	Laksamana-class corvette
Displacement	675 long tons (686 t) full load
Length	62.3 m (204 ft 5 in)
Beam	9.3 m (30 ft 6 in)
Draught	2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)
Propulsion	4 MTU 20V 956 TB 92 diesels 4 shafts developing 20,400 bhp (15,200 kW)
Speed	36 knots (67 km/h)
Range	2,300 nautical miles (4,300 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h)
Complement	56
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	Guns: 1 × 76 mm Oto Melara 1 × DARDO/40 mm Breda CIWS Anti-air: 4 × Aspide SAM (removed) Anti-ship: 6 × Otomat Mk 2 SSM (removed) Anti-submarine: 2 × triple Eurotorp B515 with A244-S ASW torpedoes (removed)
Notes	The missile might be removed due to being obsolete[1]

KD Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil (F135) is the second ship of Laksamana-class corvette currently in service with the Royal Malaysian Navy. She built by Fincantieri based on the Type 550 corvette design. Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil constitute the Royal Malaysian Navy's 24th corvette Squadron.[2]

Development

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.[3] The corvettes were never delivered to Iraq and instead refitted and sold to Malaysia in mid 1990s.[4]

Service history

Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil were originally ordered by the Iraqi Navy as Saad Ibn Abi Wakkad (F218). Her keel was laid down on 17 September 1982, launched on 30 December 1983 and she was completed in 1988.[3] Upon her completion, Saad Ibn Abi Wakkad was laid up at Muggiano due to trade embargo during Iran–Iraq War that prevented her from being delivered to Iraq.[3] 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.[5]

Royal Malaysian Navy signed a contract with Fincantieri for Saad Ibn Abi Wakkad and her sister Khalid Ibn Al Walid on 26 October 1995. She and her sister were refitted at Muggiano and later arrived in Malaysia in September 1997.[4] The ship was commissioned as KD Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil on 28 July 1997.[4] RMN confirmed that she and other sister ships will be upgrade to extend their service life.[6]

Citations

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

References

• Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen; Budzbon, Przemysław (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9781557501325.
• Sharpe, Capt. Richard (1989). Jane's Fighting Ships 1989-90. Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0710608864.
• Saunders, Stephen (2009). Jane's Fighting Ships 2009-2010. Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0710628886.