KUALA LUMPUR: The acquisition of the third batch of littoral mission ships (LMS) for the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) will only be finalised after the tabling of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) later this month.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin clarified this amid speculation following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent discussions in Italy.
Mohamed Khaled stated that all new defence procurements, including the LMS, will be confirmed post-13MP. He highlighted that during Anwar’s visits to Italy and France, potential credit facilities were discussed should Malaysia proceed with procurement involving assets from these nations.
On July 2, Anwar met with leaders of Italian defence firms Fincantieri, Leonardo, and ENI, resulting in potential RM8.13 billion investments. The discussions also covered bilateral cooperation in defence and energy sectors.
In June last year, the Defence Ministry awarded a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) to Turkish firm Savunma Teknolojileri Muhendislik (STM) for three second-batch LMS vessels. These Ada-class corvettes are multirole, capable of patrols and anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and equipped with ATMACA missiles and air defence systems. Each vessel supports 111 crew members and includes a helipad for ASW helicopters or drones.
Malaysia previously acquired four first-batch LMS vessels from China for over RM1 billion, which have been operational since 2020. – Bernama
