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Naval
Defense Industry News - Malaysia |
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Royal Malaysian Navy Gowind class Corvettes for LCS program to be fitted
with stealth 57mm Guns |
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Text and interview by Xavier Vavasseur At the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition 2013, Navy Recognition exclusively learned that the 6 future Gowind class Corvettes (Littoral Combat Ship program) will be fitted with 57mm Mark 3 main guns with stealth cupola from BAE Systems Bofors. We also took the opportunity to get the latest updates on the Malaysian LCS program from Anuar Murad, Director of Defence and Security at Boustead Heavy Industry Corporation. |
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Anuar Murad,
Director of Defence & Security Division at BHIC, gave us the latest
updates on the Gowind design for the Royal Malayasian Navy Littoral
Combat Ship program. |
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It was confirmed
during LIMA that the combat management system will be the SETIS by
DCNS, the
Fire Control Systems will be provided by Rheinmetall, and
the engines will be provided by MTU. The design seems to have increased
in size with the length of the LCS now at 111 meters (compared to
107 as previously reported) with a displacement of about 3,000 tons
(compared to full load displacement of 2,730 tonnes as previously
announced). |
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 During LIMA 2013 a Letter of Award was signed for the procurement of BAE Systems Bofors 57mm Mark 3 with stealth Cupola. In this picture taken during LIMA 2013, the gun is seen in open position. |
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BHIC
Bofors Asia Sdn Bhd, the joint venture between Boustead Heavy Industries
and BAE Systems (Bofors Asia), created in 2004, is set to benefit following
the award to BAE Systems of a sub-contract for the sale of six 57mm
Mk 3 naval guns for the Royal Malaysian Navy in a deal worth approximately
RM175m. The contract ‘letter of award’ was granted to BAE Systems during LIMA 2013 by the systems integrator, Contraves Advanced Devices, which is a joint venture between Boustead Heavy Industries and Rheinmetall Air Defence AG. The 57mm naval gun, designed by BAE Systems in Karlskoga, Sweden, will equip the Malaysian Navy’s Second Generation Patrol Vessel – Littoral Combat Ships (SGPV-LCS). The contract includes ammunition hoists, simulator and initial support. The 57mm Mk 3 naval gun with stealth cupola is already fitted on the Royal Swedish Navy Visby class stealth corvettes. Like on the Visby class, the stealth cupola will greatly contribute to lower the stealth signature of the Malaysian Gowind corvettes. An engineer from BHIC Bofors Asia SDN. BHD. told us during LIMA 2013 that the shape of the stealth cupola for the Gowind Corvettes will slightly differ from the one found on the Visby class to maximize the stealth characteristics of the corvette designed by DCNS. |
Update 17/04/2013 A representative from BAE Systems Bofors informed us that the stealth variant of the 57 Mark 3 can fully utilize the 3P ammunition and this type of ammunition will be delivered to the Royal Malaysian Navy as part of the deal. The 6-mode programmable 40 and 57 mm Bofors 3P (for Pre-fragmented, Programmable, Proximity fused) ammunition can be programmed in six different function modes to provide optimised effect against any aerial, surface or shore target. This provides weapon systems with the highest possible combat flexibility. Each 3P fuse is automatically and individually programmed by a Proximity Fuse Programmer which continuously receives data from the Fire Control Computer System. Immediately before firing, the fuse is programmed to the selected mode. This time function makes it possible to engage concealed targets or manoeuvring speedboats that cannot be engaged with direct fire. The time function is used to create airbursts over the target area. The 57 Mark3/Mk110 with its 120 ready to fire, 4 rounds per second (220 rounds/minute) rate of fire, together with the shell’s large number of high-velocity/high-density fragments gives a devastating effect against targets like helicopters hovering behind treetops, rocks, sand dunes, concealed troops onshore and other targets that cannot be combated with direct fire. This function can also be used together with the gun's area covering burst pattern function to engage small, fast, manoeuvring speedboats.
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