Zulhelmy Ithnain says most maintenance work now involves corrective maintenance rather than preventive maintenance, with spare parts difficult to source too.
He said the ageing fleet had placed increasing pressure on the navy, but the vessels must continue operating to safeguard the country’s maritime waters.
“We have six operations that require ships to be deployed 24 hours a day throughout the year.
“These ageing vessels still have to go to sea, and this is a concern because they are no longer in the same condition as when they first entered service,” he told reporters after the 53rd anniversary celebration of the First Squadron of Perdana-class Combat vessels here today.
He said most maintenance work now involves corrective maintenance rather than preventive maintenance, while the navy is also facing difficulties in sourcing spare parts.
On the four Perdana-class Combat vessels that remain in service after more than 50 years, Zulhelmy said their continued operation reflected the navy’s effective maintenance culture.
He said the vessels had been converted from missile boats into patrol vessels.
The navy is also implementing an asset obsolescence management programme for KD Perdana and KD Ganyang to enhance the structural integrity of the vessels, enabling them to remain operational for another 10 to 15 years as an interim measure before they are replaced, he said.
Meanwhile, Zulhelmy said the navy’s asset modernisation programme would continue in line with the government’s financial capacity under the transformation plan, with the acquisition of Multi-Role Support Ships (MRSS) under the 13th Malaysia Plan, while the procurement of submarines is expected to be considered under the 14th Malaysia Plan.
He added that more than 17 countries, including Russia, China, the Netherlands, Turkey, Italy and South Korea, had submitted proposals to supply the MRSS. - FMT
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