Lunas targets April 2027 delivery of first littoral combat ship to Royal Malaysian Navy

Lunas, the shipyard responsible for the first littoral combat ship (LCS1) for the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), has announced a revision to its delivery timeline. Originally targeted for delivery in April 2027, the ship's physical delivery is now expected to occur sometime in that year. The company cited a number of factors in this change, including the complexities of the program, the cancellation of an export license for a missile system, and the need to contract for additional critical components.

Mindef was informed of these issues, which did not fall within the original contract's scope. Additionally, the delivery was delayed by the finalization of the Letter of Acceptance for the Integrated Logistics Support and Test Assistance package and the signing of the contract in August 2026. Lunas stated that any determination of contractual responsibility must go through the proper legal channels, and that they respected the findings of the Auditor-General's Report.

Despite these delays, Lunas remains committed to delivering a safe and capable ship to strengthen the RMN's operational readiness. However, if the Contract Variation Order is delayed further, the April 2027 delivery target could be pushed back.