Kedah-class (MEKO 100)
Summary
| Origin country | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
| Category | Patrol vessel |
| Subtype | Offshore patrol vessel |
| Manufacturer | Blohm + Voss |
| Year commissioned | 2006 |
| Approx. unit cost | $270 million |
| Units |
KD Kedah KD Kelantan KD Pahang KD Perak KD Selangor KD Terengganu |
Operators
Technical specifications
| Displacement | 1850 tons |
| Range | 6050 km |
| Endurance | 21 days |
| Crew | 78 members |
| Width | 12.85 m (42.2 ft) |
| Length | 91.1 m (298.9 ft) |
| Air Park |
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| Propulsion | 2x Caterpillar 3616 (5,450kW) diesel, 2 shafts, 2 controllable pitch propellers |
| Armament |
|
| Maximum speed | 24 knots |
Description
The Kedah-class offshore patrol vessels of the Royal Malaysian Navy are based on the MEKO 100 design by Blohm + Voss. In the 1990s, the Royal Malaysian Navy initiated a program to replace its patrol boats that had been in service since the 1960s. Following a design competition in 1996, the German Naval Group consortium was selected, and a contract for six vessels was signed with PSC-Naval Dockyard in 1998. The program experienced financial and technical difficulties, including pre-delivery sea trial failures of the first hull, which led the Malaysian government to replace the shipbuilder's management team. Due to these delays, the original plan to acquire more vessels was scaled back, and only six ships were completed. The first vessel was commissioned in June 2006, and all six entered active service by 2009.
Although their size is comparable to corvettes, the Royal Malaysian Navy classifies these ships as offshore patrol vessels. This classification is due to the vessels being delivered under a "fitted for but not with" arrangement. The ships contain the structural provisions, sensors, and electronics required to integrate surface-to-air, anti-ship, and cruise missiles, but are currently armed with bow and aft guns only.
The hull design incorporates signatures intended to reduce radar detectability, noise, and heat dissipation. Shipboard operations rely on automation, featuring an Integrated Platform Management System that monitors and controls propulsion, electrical, damage control, and auxiliary machinery. Sensor systems include a phased-array C-band radar for target detection and tracking. The class is designed with redundant systems to support survivability and is configured with a stern hangar and landing platform to support helicopter operations.
In 2018, an improved design featuring a lower radar cross-section and modular armament options was proposed to meet subsequent modernization requirements.
All six vessels are named after Malaysian states. In active service, KD Pahang participated in anti-piracy operations off Somalia in 2008, and KD Perak participated in the naval blockade during the 2013 Lahad Datu standoff.