Block 3 or Not?
Marhalim Abas October 14, 2014



SHAH ALAM: With the production of RMN’s latest frigate, the LCS, is coming soon – although some reports stated it had – there is no word yet on whether or not the Exocet Block 3 and the VL MICA has been selected.

The Block 3 embodied significant improvement over the previous Exocets with an added land attack capability and range of more than 200km. It also fitted with new electronic boxes to allow for different flight profile though the 160kg warhead remains.

When met recently, RMN Chief Admiral Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaafar said the decision for both – SSM and SAM – will be made soon. Pressed further he said more or less the system had been decided without saying specifically it will be the Exocet and MICA though.

I had posted previously that the navy preferred the NSM and ESSM but as both cost more than the MBDA combo it was unlikely that the RM9 billion ceiling budget for the LCS will be revised.

Anyhow, a Janes report yesterday quoted that a spokesman from MBDA as saying that the Malaysian contract had not been confirmed. The report states “As well as the French Navy, other customers comprise Brunei, Greece, Morocco, Oman, Peru, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Additionally, Egypt is to fit Block 3 on the four new Gowind 2500 corvettes recently ordered from French shipbuilder DCNS.” The report stated that 400 missiles had been ordered to date with more than 50 firing world-wide.

In the meantime, the US Navy is mulling getting the NSM for its own LCS. On Sept 24, the USS Coronado fired a NSM in a test although the US Navy had stated it does not mean it will be fitted to the LCS fleet.

An air launch variant of the NSM – the JSSM – will be the primary ASM of the F35 Lightning II.

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