LUMUT: The government is satisfied with the progress of the construction of the five littoral combat ships (LCS) despite some delays.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said that so far, completion should be at 73 per cent and there was a delay of 1.68 per cent for the five ships due to the factor of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM).
“So now we are at LUNAS (Lumut Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd) shipyard for the purpose of seeing the progress of the construction of the littoral combat ships. This is my second visit with the Armed Forces chief, KSU (secretary-general) and the navy chief to show how important this project is for the country.
“Our presence would also enable the community out there to hear or get information directly from the ministry and me, (instead of) hearing from others who make false accusations and assumptions,“ he said.
He said this at a press conference after a working visit to the LUNAS shipyard at the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) Base here today.
Mohamed Khaled said during the visit, his delegation was briefed and was satisfied with the progress of the work being carried out at the shipyard.
“As stated, one LCS will be handed over to RMN in August 2026 and for your information, we can see that LCS two, three, four, and five are all being built according to their respective progress.
“As for LCS two, it is ready to be launched into the water in May and the ship will be handed over to RMN in April 2027,“ he said.
He said LCS 3 is expected to be launched in January 2026.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Khalid said yesterday, his party had presented contributions to the families of the victims of the RMN helicopter tragedy last year from the proceeds of a charity fund totaling RM312,000.
In addition, his party had also presented a contribution for the maintenance of RMN houses totaling RM70.44 million, with RM28.71 million for the Lumut camp.
