KD ''Lekiu'' is a guided missile

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

currently serving in the

Royal Malaysian Navy The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN, ms, Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia; TLDM; Jawi: ) is the naval arm of the Malaysian Armed Forces. RMN is the main agency responsible for the country's maritime surveillance and defense operations. RMN's area of o ...

and one of the major naval assets for

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. Together with her sister ship ''Jebat'', ''Lekiu'' serves in the 23rd Frigate Squadron of the

Development

The ships were built by

Yarrow Shipbuilders Yarrow Shipbuilders Limited (YSL), often styled as simply Yarrows, was a major shipbuilding firm based in the Scotstoun district of Glasgow on the River Clyde. It is now part of BAE Systems Surface Ships, owned by BAE Systems, which has also o ...

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

(now

BAE Systems Surface Ships BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenues. ...

) of

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

based on the F2000 frigate design. ''Lekiu'' was launched in December 1994 and commissioned May 1999. Although the ''Lekiu'' was launched first then the ''Jebat'', but ''Jebat'' carries the lower pennant number (FFG29) compared to ''Lekiu'' (FFG30) to signify the seniority of this ship, which accommodates the Admiral of the Royal Malaysian Navy. (

Hang Jebat Hang Jebat ( Jawi: هڠ جيبت) was the closest companion of the legendary Malaccan hero Hang Tuah. Regarded in Malaysia as one of the greatest silat exponents in history, he is well known for his vengeful rebellion against the Malacca Sulta ...

succeeded

Hang Tuah Hang Tuah ( Jawi: , /tuah/ or /toh/) is said to have been a warrior who lived in Malacca during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah in the 15th century. There is limited historical evidence for his existence. However, he was supposedly a great laks ...

as ''

Laksamana The Laksamana ( Jawi: ) is a position within the armed forces, similar to the position of admiral in Malay sultanates and in present-day countries like Indonesia and Malaysia. Since South East Asia was part of Indosphere of Greater India since earl ...

'' (Admiral) of the

Malacca Sultanate The Malacca Sultanate ( ms, Kesultanan Melaka; Jawi script: ) was a Malay sultanate based in the modern-day state of Malacca, Malaysia. Conventional historical thesis marks as the founding year of the sultanate by King of Singapura, Parameswa ...

, while Hang Lekiu was never made a ''Laksamana''.).

Characteristic

As for the weapon systems, ''Lekiu'' equipped with one

Bofors 57 mm gun The Bofors 57 mm gun is a nickname or designation given to several types of guns designed and developed by the Swedish company Bofors: *, a 57 mm anti tank gun for the Swedish army during WW2. * Bofors 57 mm Automatic Gun L/50, a 57 ...

and two MSI DS30M 30 mm cannon. For the missiles, there was 16 Sea Wolf

surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...

for air defence and 8 MM40 Exocet block 2

anti-ship missile An anti-ship missile (AShM) is a guided missile that is designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea skimming variety, and many use a combination of inertial guidance and active radar homing. A good ...

for anti surface warfare. Two triple Eurotorp B515 with

A244-S The A244-s is an Italian lightweight, fire-and-forget torpedo employed for anti-submarine warfare. It can be launched from surface vessels or from aircraft, and locates the target by means of an acoustic seeker. Description The torpedo uses ...

ASW torpedoes also installed for anti submarine warfare.

References

{{Royal Malaysian Navy Ships 1995 ships Frigates of Malaysia Lekiu-class frigates Ships built on the River Clyde