Playing an important role in protecting national security, the Royal Malaysian Navy is equipped with a variety of European-made warships
Currently, the Malaysian Navy is operating six Kedah-class offshore patrol boats
based on the Blohm + Voss MEKO 100 design, commissioned from 2006 to 2010
The six vessels are named after Malaysian states, are deployed to conduct maritime surveillance and patrol duties in Malaysia’s Exclusive Economic Zone
The Kedah-class offshore patrol vessel has a full load displacement of 1,850 tons, a length of 91.1 m, a beam of 12.85 m, and a draft of 3.4 m
While their size and tonnage implies the Kedah-class ships to be corvettes
they are classified as offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) by the Royal Malaysian Navy
a category more common with law enforcement or coast guard vessels, not naval warships
The vessel can complement a crew of 78 members
Designed in a modular configuration allowing the operator to install the necessary modules
for specific mission requirements without further work on the ship control system
Based on the Blohm + Voss MEKO 100 design, Kedah Class features reduced radar and infrared signatures
The vessels are incorporated with a modern control system for monitoring and controlling the machinery and ship systems
Regarding weapons, Kedah Class is armed with an Oto Melara 76mm medium range gun at the front
and an Oto Melara 30mm short-range gun fitted at the aft side of the vessel
It also has provisions to add Exocet MM40 surface-to-surface missile system and SeaRAM anti-ship missile defence system
Aft of the ship is arranged a helipad and a hangar, supporting a medium-sized helicopter
The radar system includes the EADS TRS-3D / 16 ES three-dimensional search radar
an Oerlikon Contraves TMX / EO X-band fire control radar and a L-3 ELAC Nautik NDS-3060 obstacle avoidance sonar
Countermeasures are provided by the Thales Sceptre-X ESM system and the Sippican ALEX SRBOC decoy launching system
The ship's propulsion system is two Caterpillar 3616 diesel engines, with 16,000 hp, 2 shafts, 2 controllable pitch propellers
The Kedah-class can reach a maximum speed of 24 knots and has a range of 6,050 nautical miles