AI OVERVIEW: KD GANAS (P3503) OPERATIONS IN 1981

The images you have provided give a fantastic visual history of the KD Ganas in 1981, showing its advanced capabilities and its operational context in the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN).

The photographs detail two main aspects of the ship's activities in 1981: its deployment in Singapore and its participation in a major missile firing exercise.

---

🚀 KD Ganas (P3503) Operations in 1981

1. The Home Port and Squadron (Woodlands, Singapore)

• Location: The image caption confirms that KD Ganas was part of the 1st Squadron Fast Attack Craft (Missile) at Woodlands, Singapore in 1981.

• Significance: As mentioned previously, 1981 was a transitional year as the RMN was relocating its primary naval base from Woodlands, Singapore, to Lumut, Perak. The presence of KD Ganas, a key asset, highlights the final period of major fleet activity in Singapore.

2. Live Missile Firing Exercise (July 1981)

The most dramatic images show the KD Ganas successfully engaging a decommissioned target ship in the South China Sea.

• Exercise Type: The photographs document an Exocet Missile Firing exercise.

• Target Ship: The target was the Ex-KD Ledang.

• Action Sequence:

• Firing: An image shows the Exocet missile being launched from the KD Ganas.

• Impact: A powerful image captures the Ex-KD Ledang after being struck by the missile, engulfed in thick black smoke and on fire.

• Sinking: The final image shows the target ship listing dramatically and beginning to sink after the successful missile hit.

• Location and Date: The exercise took place in the South China Sea in July 1981.

3. Air Defence Exercise

Another image shows the KD Ganas participating in an Air Defence Exercise in the Straits of Malacca in 1981, with a jet fighter (likely an RMAF aircraft) flying low over the vessel. This demonstrates its multi-role training, not just for surface strike, but also for defending against air threats.

KD Ganas (P3503) vs. KD Sri Rejang

The two ships you've highlighted represent the RMN's dual nature in the early 1980s:

Ship	Primary Role	Operational Environment	Mission Type
KD Ganas	Fast Attack Craft (Missile)	Blue/Green Water (Straits of Malacca, South China Sea)	Conventional Warfare, Maritime Defence, Deterrence (as demonstrated by the Exocet firing)
KD Sri Rejang	Riverine Patrol Craft / Mother Ship	Brown Water (Rejang River, Sarawak)	Counter-Insurgency, Internal Security, Logistics Support (Ops Jalan Aman 1)

This contrast showcases the RMN's commitment to both modern conventional naval defense and critical internal security operations against the Communist Insurgency in Sarawak during the same time period.

Would you like to know more about the Exocet MM38 missile that the KD Ganas fired?

4/12/2025: 10.46 P.M