Patrol Vessel Built By PSC-ND for RMN Found Defective

• nWo

  27 Feb 05, 13:13

  Source: Bernama, Malaysian National News Agency
  
  February 26, 2005 21:03 PM
  
  Navy Chief: Patrol Vessel Built By PSC-ND Defective
  
  KOTA TINGGI, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- The first of the six new generation patrol vessels built by PSC-Naval Dockyard Sdn Bhd under a RM5.35 billion contract for the Royal Malaysian Navy is found to be defective.
  
  Navy Chief Datuk Seri Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor said the navy detected various technical problems when it undertook sea trials of the "PV1" vessel before its commissioning.
  
  "Firstly, it has technical flaws in the command system and secondly, the training package for officers and personnel to handle the vessel is a bit outdated.
  
  "The vessel should have been handed to us in September but because of the technical defects, the sea trials failed, we've postponed the handover till this July," he told reporters after the commissioning of "KD Sultan Ismail" at the Tanjung Pengelih Navy Base, near here, Saturday.
  
  Present were the Sultan of Johor and Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Zainal Abidin Zin.
  
  "KD Sultan Ismail" was previously known as RMN Recruit Training Centre.
  
  Mohd Anwar said the first two vessels under the contract were 98 per cent complete and would be handed over to the navy after the defects were rectified and they passed the sea trials.
  
  "The contract signed provides for sea trials of the system. The system should meet the specifications under the contract. We will not compromise with the specifications stipulated in the contract," he said.
  
  The contract for the delivery of the six vessels was signed between PSC-ND and the government in Sept 1998.
  
  All six are to be built in collaboration with Germany's GNG Group and handed over to the RMN by 2008.
  
  The first two vessels, "PV1" and "PV2" were built at the GNG's dockyard and equipped with various systems in Malaysia while the rest will be built and equipped in Malaysia.
  
  Mohd Anwar denied reports the project had been taken over by the Armed Forces Fund Board.
  
  "PSC-ND is still obligated to complete the six patrol vessels. It is a contract that must be honoured by the company.
  
  He said the remaining four vessels are being built at PSC-ND's dockyards in Pulau Jerejak, Penang and Lumut.
  
  -- BERNAMA
  
• nWo

  27 Feb 05, 13:15

  Source: The Star Online
  
  Sunday February 27, 2005
  
  Patrol vessels project hits a snag
  
  KOTA TINGGI: The RM5bil project to build new generation patrol vessels has hit a snag, causing a delay in the handing over of the first two vessels to the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN).
  
  According to the contract, the navy was supposed to receive the ships last September, said RMN chief Admiral Datuk Seri Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor.
  
  “However, due to some technical problems during the sea trials, the handing over of two vessels, PV1 and PV2, has been postponed to July,” he said.
  
  “The remaining four patrol vessels are scheduled for completion by June 2008,” Admiral Mohd Anwar said after a ceremony to open the KD Sultan Ismail naval base, formerly known as the Naval Recruit Training Centre (Pularek) at Tanjung Pengelih in Pengerang here.
  
  Johor's Sultan Iskandar Sultan Ismail performed the ceremony to name and commission the base yesterday.
  
  Admiral Mohd Anwar added that the training package for the personnel to operate the vessels was also behind schedule.
  
  In 1999, the Government had signed a RM5.35bil contract with Penang Shipbuilding-Naval Dockyard to build six vessels.
  
  Admiral Mohd Anwar said the PV1 and PV2 vessels were 98% completed and were currently undergoing sea trials to rectify minor technical problems and then the vessels would be handed to the navy.
  
  “The contract specified that the ships had to successfully pass all sea trials. We will not compromise on that,” he added.
  
  He said the other four vessels were being built in Pulau Jerejak, Penang, and Lumut.
  
  Earlier, Sultan Iskandar said he was proud of the baseÂ’s new name, which was in memory of his late father Sultan Ismail, who was the first honorary captain of the RMN.
  
• CenturionMBT

  27 Feb 05, 14:22

  oh well, as in anything new, there are bound to be problems. So nothing really surprising about it.