Shipbuilder told to expedite work as LCS delivery slips further
Khaled says this after delivery of first ship pushed to April next year.
Kota Tinggi, Oct 11 — The RMN's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) project's completion is not contingent on the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI), the Defence Minister stated. The shipbuilder has been directed to expedite the project to avoid further delays. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin clarified that the RCI is not a determining factor in the timely completion of the LCS.
Following the Auditor-General's Report (LKAN) 2/2026, which revealed the project was 7.55% behind schedule as of June 25, LUNAS, the company responsible for building Malaysia's first LCS, has revised the delivery date for LCS 1 to April 2027. This adjustment came after LUNAS informed the ministry that a December delivery date was no longer guaranteed.
The minister emphasized that the investigation should be left to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and relevant authorities, and court proceedings have already been initiated against a former Navy chief connected to the LCS project. Mohamed Khaled also revealed that the government is engaging with multiple countries in negotiations to procure a surface-to-surface missile system for LCS 1, in place of Norway's Naval Strike Missile (NSM).
The acquisition is not contingent on Budget 2027 allocation, as the ministry aims to ensure the ship's full equipment is installed in a timely manner.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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