1981 - KD GANAS - LIVE FIRE EXERCISE OF AN EXOCET MM38 MISSILE

This image documents a significant moment in the history of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN): the live-fire exercise of an Exocet MM38 missile by the fast attack craft KD Ganas (3503) in July 1981.

The collage depicts the sequence of the exercise, which was part of a major Air Defence Exercise in the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea.

Key Details of the Event:

• The Attacking Ship: KD Ganas, a Perdana-class Fast Attack Craft (Missile). This class was built in France by CMN and was among the first in the region to be equipped with the then-revolutionary sea-skimming Exocet missiles.
• The Missile: The Exocet MM38, a French-made anti-ship missile. At the time, this was state-of-the-art technology (the same type of missile gained worldwide notoriety just a year later during the 1982 Falklands War).
• The Target: The Ex-KD Ledang, a decommissioned RMN ship used as a target vessel. The bottom two photos show the missile impact (thick black smoke) and the eventual sinking of the ship.
• Aerial Support: The top-right image shows an aircraft (likely a Northrop F-5 Tiger II of the Royal Malaysian Air Force) participating in the joint exercise.

Historical Context

This exercise was a major "show of force" and a test of the RMN's modernization efforts in the early 1980s. KD Ganas belonged to the 1st Fast Attack Craft Squadron, which formed the backbone of Malaysia's offensive naval capabilities during that era.

The Perdana-class ships were eventually retired or had their missile canisters removed in later years as the MM38 became obsolete, but in 1981, they represented the cutting edge of maritime defense in Southeast Asia.

Google Gemini AI

30 January 2026: 6.45 p.m