View source for Lekiu-class frigate

{{Short description|Malaysian Navy frigate class}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin
| infobox caption = 
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{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = KD Lekiu(FFG30) and KD Jebat(FFG29) with USS George Washington (CVN 73).jpeg
| Ship caption = KD ''Lekiu'' (FFG30) and KD ''Jebat'' (FFG29) with {{USS|George Washington|CVN-73|6}}
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
| Name = ''Lekiu'' class
| Builders = [[Yarrow Shipbuilders]], [[Glasgow]], [[UK]]
| Operators = {{navy|Malaysia}}
| Class before = *{{ship|KD|Rahmat}} 
*{{ship|KD|Hang Tuah}} (as a frigate)
| Class after = [[Second Generation Patrol Vessel|''Maharaja Lela'' class]]
| Subclasses = 
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| Built range = 
| In service range = 
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| Succeeded by = {{sclass|Maharaja Lela|Frigate}}
| Total ships building = 
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| Total ships completed = 2
| Total ships cancelled = 
| Total ships active = 2
| Total ships laid up = 
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| Total ships preserved = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
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| Header caption = 
| Ship class = F2000 [[frigate]]
| Ship type = 
| Ship tonnage = 
| Ship displacement = 2,300 tons full load
| Ship length = {{convert|106|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|12.75|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship height = 
| Ship draught = {{convert|3.08|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship draft = 
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| Ship decks = 
| Ship deck clearance = 
| Ship ramps = 
| Ship ice class = 
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| Ship propulsion = 4 × MTU 20V 1163 TB93 diesel engines, 24.5MW, twin shafts with [[Kamewa]] controllable pitch propellers
| Ship sail plan = 
| Ship speed = {{convert|28|kn}}
| Ship range = {{convert|5000|nmi|abbr=on}}
| Ship endurance = 
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| Ship boats = 
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| Ship complement = 146 with 18 officers
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| Ship sensors = *'''Combat system''': [[BAE Systems Insyte]] Nautis F combat data system
*'''Search radar''': [[GIRAFFE Radar|Ericsson Sea Giraffe-150]] surface search radar G and H bands, Thales Netherlands (Signaal) DA-08 air search operating at E and F bands
*'''Navigation radar''': Thales Defence I-band navigation radar
*'''Fire control radar''': 2 × Marconi 1802SW, Alenia Marconi Systems Nautis F combat data system, Radamec Series 2000 Optronic weapon director, BAE SYSTEMS 1802 fire control radar operating at I and J bands
*'''Thermal imager''': BAE Type V 3001 
*'''Sonar''': [[Thales Group|Thales]] Underwater Systems Spherion TSM 2633 LF sonar
| Ship EW = *'''ESM''': BAE Mentor-A
*'''ECM''': [[Thales Group|Thales]] Defense Scimitar
*'''Decoy''':  2 Super Barricade 12 barrelled launchers, Graseby Sea Siren torpedo decoy
| Ship armament = *'''Guns''': 1 × [[Bofors 57 mm L/70 naval artillery gun|Bofors 57 mm gun]]
*2 × [[DS30B rapid fire cannon|MSI DS30B 30 mm cannon]]
*'''Anti-air''': 16 × VLS for [[Sea Wolf missile|Sea Wolf]] SAM
*'''Anti-ship''': 8 × [[Exocet|Exocet MM40]] Block 2 SSM
*'''Anti-submarine''': 2 × triple [https://www.leonardocompany.com/en/products/b515 Eurotorp B515] with [[A244-S]] ASW torpedoes
| Ship armour = 
| Ship armor = 
| Ship aircraft = 1 × [[Westland Lynx|Super Lynx]] 300
| Ship aircraft facilities = *Stern hangar
*Helicopter landing platform
| Ship notes = 
}}
|}

The '''''Lekiu''-class frigates''' are a [[Ship class|class]] of [[frigate]]s of the [[Royal Malaysian Navy]]. They are the largest and most modern [[surface combatant]]s of the Royal Malaysian Navy, until the [[Second Generation Patrol Vessel|''Maharaja Lela''-class frigates]] are completed. The class comprises two vessels, {{ship|KD|Jebat}} and [[KD Lekiu (FFG30)|KD ''Lekiu'']]. The class is named after the second ship of the class which was launched before ''Jebat''.

The two ships of the class are named after Hang Lekiu and [[Hang Jebat]], two figures from the Malay 15th-century epic narrative ''[[Hikayat Hang Tuah]]''. They share this characteristic with the two {{sclass|Kasturi|corvette}}s, [[KD Kasturi (F-25)|KD ''Kasturi'']] and [[KD Lekir (F-26)|KD ''Lekir'']], as well as the old frigate-turned-[[training ship]] {{ship|KD|Hang Tuah}}, all of which are named after figures from the epic as well.

==Development==
The ships were built in the [[United Kingdom]] by [[Yarrow Shipbuilders]] of [[Glasgow]] (now [[BAE Systems Surface Ships]]) from the company's standard F2000 frigate design. ''Lekiu'' was launched in December 1994 while the ''Jebat'' was launched in May 1995. ''Jebat'' carries the lower pennant number (FFG29) to signify the seniority of this ship, which accommodates the Admiral of the Royal Malaysian Navy. ([[Hang Jebat]] succeeded [[Hang Tuah]] as Laksamana (Admiral) during the [[Melaka Sultanate]], while ''Hang Lekiu'' was never made a Laksamana.)

The purchase of the two ships of the ''Lekiu'' class involved a major transfer of technology programme and an offset programme where some portion of the contract value would involve purchases and services contracted to Malaysian companies.

Delivery and operational status were delayed due to integration of combat systems problems. The ships were commissioned in March and May 1999. The ships represented a huge jump in capability compared to the frigates then operated by the Royal Malaysian Navy, {{ship|KD|Rahmat}} and {{ship|KD|Hang Tuah}} (ex-HMS ''Mermaid'').

Both ''Jebat'' and ''Lekiu'' serve in the 23 Frigate Squadron of the Royal Malaysian Navy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://navy.mod.gov.my/sitecont/option-com_content/task-view/id-105/Itemid-204/lang-en/ |title=Title unknown}}{{dead link|date=September 2014}}</ref>

==Delays==
The ''Lekiu'' class faced serious delays due to difficulties in the systems integration of the weapons and weapons control system (i.e., software problems). These problems were overcome and the delivery and commissioning of the two ships was completed on 7 October and 10 November 1999.

==Plans for further ships==
[[File:LIMA07 080.jpg|thumb|The model of ''Lekiu'' batch 2 displayed at LIMA 2007.]]
Malaysian Minister of Defence [[Najib Tun Razak]] announced at the 2006 [[Farnborough Air Show]] that Malaysia would be buying two frigates from the United Kingdom under Project Brave.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/7/18/nation/14868160&sec=nation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070313140934/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2006%2F7%2F18%2Fnation%2F14868160&sec=nation |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 March 2007 |title=Government wants to buy British frigates and Italian planes |newspaper=The Star |date=18 July 2006 }}</ref> The ''Evening Times'' reported on 20 July 2006 that the Clyde shipyard has won a contract to build two ''Lekiu'' class-frigates for Malaysia.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5054909.html |newspaper=Evening Times |title=Title unknown |date=20 July 2006}}{{dead link|date=September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/5193656.stm |title=Shipyards win Malaysian contract |work=[[BBC]] |date=19 July 2006}}</ref>

The two ships were to have been completed at [[Labuan Shipyard and Engineering]] as a condition of the deal but were cancelled in August 2009. In 2013, Malaysia announced the purchasing of [[Second Generation Patrol Vessel|''Maharaja Lela''-class frigate]]s and the ''Lekiu'' class batch 2 is presumed to be cancelled.

==Service Life Extension Program (SLEP)==
A limited service life extension program started in 2015. Upgrades include Thales Vigile 100 Mk2 ESM replacing the BAE Mentor A, Chess Dynamics Sea Eagle FCEO replacing the BAE Type V 3001 and [[Terma A/S|Terma]] Scanter 6000 navigation radar.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.terma.com/press/news-2016/royal-malaysian-navy-selects-terma-scanter-radar-for-lekiu-class-frigates/|title=Royal Malaysian Navy selects Terma|website=www.terma.com|access-date=2016-12-20|archive-date=21 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221092317/https://www.terma.com/press/news-2016/royal-malaysian-navy-selects-terma-scanter-radar-for-lekiu-class-frigates/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Major operation==
KD ''Lekiu'' together with [[USS Spartanburg County (LST-1192)|KD ''Sri Inderapura'']] involved in Ops Fajar 4 mission/[[Anti-piracy measures in Somalia]] by Royal Malaysian navy in [[Gulf of Aden]] in 2008. Both ships were tasked to return two hijacked Malaysian International Shipping Corporation (MISC) shipping vessels MT ''Bunga Melati Dua'' and MT ''Bunga Melati Lima'' to Malaysia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2008/10/21/ops-fajar-mission-accomplished/|title=Ops Fajar Mission Accomplished|website=thestar.com}}</ref>

In 2013 KD ''Jebat'' was involved in a naval blockade in [[2013 Lahad Datu standoff]].

In 2014, KD ''Lekiu'' involved in MH370's Search and Rescue Operation in the South Indian Ocean for several months.

In 2018, KD ''Lekiu'' participated in the world's largest maritime exercise [[Exercise RIMPAC|RIMPAC]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thediplomat.com/2018/04/a-first-malaysia-to-deploy-warship-for-rimpac-2018/|title = A First: Malaysia to Deploy Warship for RIMPAC 2018}}</ref>

==Ships of the class==
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | [[Pennant number|Pennant]]
! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Builders
! scope="col" | Launched
! scope="col" | Commissioned
! scope="col" | Division/Squadron
! scope="col" | Notes
|-
! scope="row" | FFG29
| [[KD Jebat (FFG29)|KD ''Jebat'']]
| rowspan="2" | [[Yarrow Shipbuilders]] 
| May 1995
| March 1999
| 23rd Frigate Squadron
|
|-
! scope="row" | FFG30
| [[KD Lekiu (FFG30)|KD ''Lekiu'']]
| December 1994
| May 1999
| 23rd Frigate Squadron
|
|-
|}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:RAN-IFR 2013 D3 143.JPG|KD ''Jebat'' moored in Sydney Harbour in October 2013.
File:KD Lekiu (FFGH 30) passes by the fast-attack submarine USS La Jolla (SSN 701) during a submarine warfare exercise.jpeg|KD ''Lekiu'' passes by the [[US Navy]] submarine {{USS|La Jolla|SSN-701|6}} during a submarine warfare exercise at [[Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training|CARAT]] 2011.
File:KD Jebat (FFG 29) at CARAT 2013.jpeg|KD ''Jebat'' underway off the coast of Malaysia during a divisional tactics drill as part of [[Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training]] (CARAT) Malaysia 2013.
File:USS Freedom participates in Carat 2013. (9135089157).jpg|A rigid-hull inflatable boat from the [[Littoral combat ship|LCS]] {{USS|Freedom|LCS-1|6}} takes a visit, board, search and seizure team to the Malaysian frigate KD ''Jebat'' during a compliant boarding exercise.
File:RAN-IFR_2013_D2_30.JPG|KD ''Jebat'' entering [[Sydney harbour]] for the Sydney [[International Fleet Review 2013]].
File:Malaysia KD Lekiu (30) during Milan 2018 exercise.jpg|KD ''Lekiu'' during [[Milan (naval exercise)|Milan 2018]] exercise hosted by [[Indian Navy]].
File:KD Lekiu night at the naval port.jpg|KD ''Lekiu'' docked at [[RMN Lumut Naval Base]] at night.
</gallery>

==See also==
* {{sclass|Nakhoda Ragam|corvette}} – Three other F2000-derived ships ordered for the [[Royal Brunei Navy]] but purchased by the [[Indonesian Navy]].
* [[List of naval ship classes in service]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Lekiu class frigate}}
* [http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/lekiu/ Lekiu Class, Malaysia(naval technology)]
* [http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/lekiu/lekiu2.html photograph of KD Lekiu]
* [http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/lekiu/lekiu5.html photograph of KD Lekiu]
* [http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/lekiu/lekiu1.html photograph of the Jebat at Yarrow Shipbuilders]
* [http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/lekiu/lekiu7.html another photograph of the Lekiu]
* [http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/lekiu/lekiu6.html navy rating manning the Nautis II Command system]

{{Royal Malaysian Navy Ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lekiu Class Frigate}}
[[Category:Frigate classes]]
[[Category:Lekiu-class frigates| ]]
[[Category:Frigates of Malaysia| ]]