Malaysia is to become the first customer for a Gowind warship after a €2.14 billion deal was agreed in December 2011. The Royal Malaysian Navy has opted for the 107m variant, the largest of the French-designed Gowind series, to meet the needs of its Littoral Combat Ship programme. Six corvettes are to be built by the Boustead Naval Shipyard, a facility located inside the navy’s main base at Lumut. The 2,750-tonne ships will be armed with a 57mm mounting, surface-to-air missiles and torpedoes. Four diesel engines will give a maximum speed of 29 knots. The deal is something of a coup for the DCNS yard as the RMN has traditionally chosen Germany for its corvette requirements. The French company has not had things all its own way though, as the Malaysians have insisted on Thales’ Taciticos combat management system rather than their own SETIS system to reduce training and support costs.
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