06 Desember 2011

With 2 x 895 kW MTU 8V2000 M93 diesels engine can boost the boat for 60+ knots (up to 70 knots available depending on engine and configuration selection), the boat endurance : 2 days without replenishment, and max range 300+ nautical miles (all photos : Defencetalk, Militaryphotos)

LANGKAWI: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has so far taken delivery of four of the 10 ONUK MRTP16 fast interceptor craft constructed by BYO Marine Sdn Bhd under contract.

The official handing over and launch of the vessels, named PENGGALANG 10, 11, 12 and 13, yesterday was witnessed by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at the BYO Marine dockyard here.

The Malaysian government signed a contract with BYO Marine on Feb 18 this year for the delivery of 10 ONUK MRTP16 fast interceptor craft. Three of the boats were handed over in June, August and November, respectively, and one was handed over yesterday.

MMEA director-general Admiral (Maritime) Datuk Mohd Amdan Kurish said two of the delivered boats were constructed in Turkey and the other two, here.

“The remaining six are expected to be delivered in June next year. Of the six, two will be built in Turkey and four here. The fast interceptor boats will enhance our capability in undertaking operations,” he told reporters after the official launch and delivery ceremony.

The three boats delivered earlier have been put into operation in the northern and southern maritime regions to patrol the country’s maritime zones in the Strait of Melaka.

Each of the fast interceptor boats can reach a speed of more than 60 knots and can accommodate up to 10 crew at any one time. It takes only 15 minutes to reach the Kuala Perlis jetty from Langkawi compared to the one hour taken by passenger boats.

Besides anti-smuggling and anti-piracy operations, these boats can be used in search-and-rescue operations and pollution control.

BYO Marine Sdn Bhd is a joint-venture company of Boustead Heavy Industries Defence Technology of Malaysia and Yonca-Onuk JV of Turkey.

(Bernama)

04 Oktober 2011

PCG Air Group currently operates Bo-105 helicopter and BN-2 Islander aircraft (all photos : PCGAG)

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will tap financial institutions to finance the acquisition of seven helicopters and additional infrastructure and equipment amounting to P5 billion.

Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Wilfredo D. Tamayo said at the sidelines of yesterday’s Maritime Forum that PCG’s new acquisition will help strengthen its capability to enforce its functions now that they already have the PCG Law or the Republic Act (RA) 9993.

Tamayo said the proposal to acquire new choppers is being reviewed by the National Economic and Development Authority Investment Coordination Committee (NEDA-ICC).

The PCG hopes that NEDA would fast track the approval and realize the urgency to purchase in order to help save more lives in case of sea disasters.

"We had a meeting with the NEDA –ICC two weeks ago and I believe, we were able to justify why we need the aircraft," he said.

This project which requires funding of P5 billion will cover the acquisition of 7 choppers, spare parts and equipment, as well as training of pilots.

"We will build our hangars and we will have our new aircrafts stationed in Northern Luzon, Manila, Romblon, Mactan Lagindingan, Davao and Palawan," he said.

With the huge investments needed, he said that the acquisition will be by phases and would take 1.5 to 2 years to complete.

"We are looking for the best package and the better loan interest to maximize our investments," he said, adding that the financial side of the project has not been finalized.

Tamayo earlier said that they will also need additional boats or vessels that can be used in search and rescue operations.

Coastguard also plans to augment its current workforce of 6,000 by at least 25,000 to ensure safety, being an archipelagic country with 36,000 kilometers of coastline and 5,000 coastal barangays and 60 coastal provinces.-

(Malaya)

01 Agustus 2011

C212-400 of the Vietnam Coast Guard (photo : Airbus Military)

Vietnam takes delivery of its first Airbus Military C212-400

The Vietnam Marine Police has taken delivery of the first of three C212-400 it ordered from Airbus Military.

The second aircraft will be delivered later this year, and the third in early 2012.

This modernized C212--400 series incorporates the latest systems and technologies, such as a Flight Management System (FMS). As a Coast Guard airplane, it will primarily be used in its Maritime Patrol role and carry out missions such as coastal surveillance, illegal fishing, drug traffic and smuggling, among others.

“We are very proud of the trust placed by the Vietnam Marine Police in Airbus Military, and look forward to the upcoming entry into service of one of our highly versatile products to help enforce law on the Vietnamese coast”, says Airbus Military Head of Light & Medium Programmes, Rafael Tentor.

Pilots and aircraft maintenance specialists were trained to operate the aircraft at the Airbus Military Training Centre in Seville.

This C212 is the first Airbus Military product that the Government of Vietnam will operate.

To date, Airbus Military has sold 477 C212 to 92 different operators.

(Airbus Military)

28 Juli 2011

Marine Operation Force's boat (photo : Mc Wood)

KUALA LUMPUR, (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) will take over 91 vessels from the Marine Operations Force (MOF) and Royal Malaysian Customs Department on Aug 15, MMEA director-general Maritime Admiral Datuk Mohd Amdan Kurish said.

Sixty of the vessels are from the MOF.

The taking over of the two agencies' assets is following the move to make MMEA the single maritime enforcement agency in the country.

"The vessels will undergo maintenance at their respective agencies prior to being handed over to the MMEA," he told reporters after opening the International Search and Rescue Conference and Exhibition here today.

Royal Malaysian Custom's boat (photo : Nauticexpo)

The taking over, however, will not include 23 jetties which will continue to be used by other agencies.

Mohd Amdan said it would be up to the personnel of the two agencies to decide whether to join the MMEA or remain with their existing organisations.

"There aren't many personnel from the two agencies joining us; but we are ready to undertake the task of enforcing maritime laws within the country's 614,000 sq km waters," he said.

Enforcement of about 100 maritime laws are previously handled by eight agencies namely the navy, air force, marine police, customs, Marine Department, Fisheries Department, Environment Department and Immigration Department.

On the three-day conference, Mohd Amdan said, it was to exchange information on security matters in the country's water with officials from Brunei, Singapore, Cambodia, India, Indonesia and New Zealand.

(Bernama)

04 Juli 2011

MMEA's boat (photo : Malaysia Today)

KUANTAN: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency will receive additional boats and personnel in its transition to becoming the sole enforcement agency of the country's waters.

Admiral Amdan also said the agency had inspected 8,153 vessels and boats during the first half of the year, 393 of which were detained for various offences.

Its director-general Maritime Admiral Datuk Amdan Kurish said 91 boats and vessels as well as 1,060 personnel from the Marine Operations Force and the Customs Department would be assigned to the agency.

“The human resource division of the agency is also actively conducting roadshows to explain (the operations) to those marine force and Customs personnel who are interested in joining us,” he said during an officers' graduation ceremony at its training centre in Gebeng yesterday.

“Our success in arresting two bands of robbers in South Johor in March was an effective deterrent and well received by regional and foreign maritime communities.

“This has given the agency a great sense of confidence,” he said.

Admiral Amdan added that in order to further enhance the effectiveness of federal law enforcement in the Malaysian Maritime Zone, the agency needed the cooperation of other government agencies which still maintained their functions and power in policy-making, regulation, licensing, research, development, resource conservation and other duties.

“The only difference is that those agencies do not conduct maritime enforcement.

“They also do not coordinate search and rescue operations but provide assistance to the agency instead,” he said.

The fourth graduation ceremony saw 81 male and eight female officers being inducted into the agency's ranks.

Maritime Lt Muhammad Ariffin Ares, 40, was awarded with the agency's sword for best overall performance during the nine-month training.

(The Star)

09 Juni 2011

CL-415 amphibian plane of the MMEA (photo : Militaryphotos)

PUTRAJAYA, (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), which celebrated six years of its existence last February, will soon be the sole law-enforcement agency in Malaysia's waters.

Before MMEA was established, there were eight maritime agencies that enforced more than 100 federal laws, regulations and agreements. These were the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), Marine Police, Royal Malaysian Customs Department, Marine Department, Department of Fisheries, Department of Environment (DOE) and Immigration Department.

The MMEA was established on Feb 15, 2005 to resolve the overlap in maritime functions, jurisdictions and operations of these agencies. With the formation of MMEA, enforcement is now better coordinated than earlier.

The agency, however, needs to overcome several shortcomings to effectively police over 614,000 square km of the country's waters.

Among them are the issues of inadequate personnel, equipment and airbases. At present the MMEA operates only one airbase in Subang.

In a recent interview, MMEA Director-General, Admiral Datuk Mohd Amdan Kurish, said the agency has implemented several measures to enable its efficient functioning.

Acquiring Assets

Mohd Amdan said the MMEA has plans to procure more patrol ships, aircraft and other assets from the government, to increase its efficiency.

These assets include a new airbase for the maritime enforcement agency's aircraft to operate from.

"A single airbase in Subang is definitely not adequate ...we should have one here (in the peninsula) and another base in the east region (for Sabah and Sarawak)."

"But we are yet to identify the location of the airbase (for Sabah and Sarawak)," he said.

The agency was established after the enactment of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency Act 2004. Its role is to ensure safety, security and sovereignty of the Malaysian Maritime Zone. MMEA is also tasked with protecting life and property in sea waters.

The agency's jurisdiction consists of the Malaysian Maritime Zone, including internal waters, territorial sea, continental shelf and the exclusive economic zone. The air space over the Malaysian Maritime Zone is also the responsibility of the MMEA.

New Ships and Vessels

Patrol crafts of the MMEA (photo : Faizal Omar)

Mohd Amdan added that the agency's assets are currently inadequate and outdated. He said procurement of additional equipment from the government was crucial as it would enable the agency to perform smoothly, tasks such as patrolling waters and conducting rescue operations. So far, the MMEA operates 130 boats and vessels, and eight helicopters. Most of these assets belonged earlier to the Royal Malaysia Navy (RMN), and some of them are in a run-down condition.

MMEA's ships are named Marlin, Sipadan, Langkawi, Malawali, Gagah, Penggalang, Peninjau, Pelindung, Penyelamat and Kilat.

"Our assets (ships) have surpassed their age limit... the ships we got from the Royal Malaysia Navy are 38-40 years old... it is time for us to get new ships," he said.

Mohd Amdan said the vessels need to be replaced as they are inefficient and have high-maintenance costs.

For administrative purposes, the MMEA is divided into five regions namely the Northern Region, Southern Region, Eastern Region, and Sarawak and Sabah.

The Northern Region includes Perlis, Kedah, Penang and Perak. Its head office is in Penang. The Southern Region includes Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor, with a head office in Johor Baharu.

The Eastern Region covers Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan, with a head office at Kuantan. The MMEA's head office for Sarawak is in Kuching while the head office for Sabah and Labuan is at Kota Kinabalu.

MMEA also has district offices and bases at locations around the coastal waters of Malaysia.

Stamping Out Smuggling

Mohd Amdan said the MMEA is currently focusing its efforts on eradicating smuggling of contraband such as drugs and firearms.

One of the crimes MMEA deals with is the rampant smuggling of consumer goods like cooking-oil and diesel in the country's northern region. This happens because the goods are cheaper here compared to neighbouring nations.

Among the biggest challenges faced by the enforcement agency is human trafficking, which requires the MMEA to conduct regular patrols and station surveillance units.

(Bernama)

16 April 2011

12,7 Hitrole Naval Turrets (photo : Oto Melara)

Oto Melara, a Finmeccanica company, on 13 April 2011 signed a contract in Kuala Lumpur for the supply of nr. 18 12,7 Hitrole Naval Turrets to be installed on board the new ships of the Malaysian Coast Guard (MMEA) within the Fast Interceptor Craft Program.

The contract, whose value amounts to 7 million Euros, foresees the delivery of 10 turrets to the Malaysian BYO shipbuilding and 8 turrets to the DMS shipbuilding.

In response to the stringent requirements of the emerging warfare, the 12,7 Hitrole Naval systems have been conceived to produce the top level of performance, including when operating in synergy with the other cooperating equipments.

The supply will be concluded within 2012.

(Oto Melara)

10 Februari 2011


AW-139 helicopter (photo : sec-pro)

Malaysia to add AW139s for maritime SAR ops

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) will step up plans this year to expand its operations with the delivery of three new helicopters. First Admiral Zammani Mohd Amin, the agency’s director of Air Wing operations, told AIN that it will continue to grow.

Before forming MMEA in 2004, the Malaysians studied maritime enforcement agencies in Australia, Canada, India, Japan and the U.S., and settled on the U.S. Coast Guard as its role model. However, Amin said he intends to incorporate aspects from the Australian Coastwatch operation.

The MMEA, effectively the Malaysian Coast Guard, came into being as the result of an amalgamation of government agencies, such as the departments of customs, fisheries and wildlife. The Air Wing received its first helicopter in 2007 and since then has been flying maritime patrol and surveillance, search and rescue, and medical evacuation missions from its base at Subang Airport near Kuala Lumpur.

The agency’s fleet consists of five aircraft: three Eurocopter SA 365N3 Dauphin helicopters and a pair of Bombardier CL-415MPs. Three AgustaWestland AW139s are due to be delivered later this year.

CL-415 amphibious aircraft (photo : JKSC)

This rapid expansion has resulted in crewing problems. Both the Royal Malaysian Army and Air Force have loaned pilots and crew, who fly the Dauphins; the CL-415s are flown by Air Force pilots with Beech King Air 200 and C-130 maritime patrol experience. Zammani said he also would like to use Navy crews, but at this time that service cannot spare personnel.

The MMEA’s operations are headquartered at the Subang air station, and it also has a base at Kota Kinabalu in the east of Malaysia, where the AW139s will be stationed. Zammani said the Air Wing’s charter is to respond to a call within 30 minutes and be on station within two hours. All the aircraft are capable of carrying and employing weapons (under strict rules of engagement) should there be a requirement.

The Dauphins are fully operational and a group of 10 pilots and crewmen recently have been qualified for both day and night search and rescue. The nominal requirement is for three complete crews.

The first CL-415 arrived in December 2008 and flew in utility configuration, without mission equipment installed, until returning to the manufacturer for this work to be carried out. It is due to return to Subang by mid-year. The second aircraft arrived last November, equipped with all its mission gear.

The CL-415s also have a firebombing role, with the first aircraft already having been used to fight underground pit fires in Selangor state in August and September. It also provided assistance during a fire aboard the Navy’s landing ship RMN Sri Inderapura in October. However, when mission equipment is installed, the aircraft will not be used for firebombing. But Zammani said removal and reinstallation of that gear will not take more than four hours.

The mission system comprises a Swedish Space Systems MSS-6000 SLAR mounted on the rear fuselage, weather radar and Flir Systems’ SeaFLIR 2 turret under the port wing. Nominal crew comprises two pilots, a mission systems operator and a crewman. The cockpit is not night-vision-goggle-compatible, but crewman can employ goggles.

The AW139s are being acquired for SAR duties from Kota Kinabalu, but will also be used on interdiction missions in the maritime area of operations.

According to Zammani, the CL-415 is regarded as an interim maritime patrol aircraft and two of them may not be enough to satisfy current requirements. He also said there is a requirement for a fixed-wing aircraft with a longer range within the next five to 10 years, and noted that the agency is currently considering the ATR 42MP, the Bombardier Dash 8 family and the Indonesian Aerospace CN 235-220MPA. He also flagged up a requirement for a larger, longer range helicopter in the intermediate future.

(AINonline)

24 Januari 2011

MMEA receives six new patrol boats (photo : Dalac Marine Engineering)

JOHOR BARU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM) is set to respond swiftly to crimes occurring in Malaysian waters with the addition of six new patrol boats worth RM3.8mil.
The 600hp rigid hull fender boats manufactured by a local maritime company Dalac Marine Engineering and Services Sdn Bhd are the fastest boats in the agency’s fleet of 138 vessels and helicopters nationwide.

Director-general Admiral Datuk Mohd Amdan Kurish said the boats would be able to respond to maritime crimes and emergencies in half the time period it currently takes.

Speedy boats: The rigid hull fenders boats performing a boat manoeuvre demonstration after the boats were handed over to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency. (photo : Dalac Marine Engineering)

“The new boats will enhance the abilities of our men to combat maritime crimes nationwide as speed is an essential element in catching criminals,” he told the media after the boat handing-over ceremony here yesterday.

Admiral Mohd Amdan said the boats are capable of reaching speeds in excess of 50 knots, equivalent to 92.6kph.

Three boats would be used to ply the waters of the southern, northern and eastern regions while the remaining vessel would be for its Special Forces Unit.

Admiral Mohd Amdan added each region had crime activities unique to its location such as the northern region had more smuggling and human trafficking activities while maritime theft activities occurred in the southern area.

“Last year, we foiled 13 attempted robberies in the southern region,” he said.

He said that the number of smuggling cases in the southern region had declined from 28 cases in 2009 to 23 last year.

Admiral Mohd Amdan urged anyone with information on maritime crime activities to contact the APMM southern region hotline at 07-2199 401.

(The Star)