KUALA LUMPUR: The Navy's first littoral combat ship (LCS) will only delivered in April 2027, four months after the shipbuilder's original commitment, says Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
The Defence Minister said the Lumut Naval Shipyard (Lunas) had informed the ministry that it could not meet its earlier handover date of December 2026.
"As the buyer, the ministry certainly hopes the LCS can be delivered and if the new date is April 2027, we hope Lunas will not have any more excuses or delays," he said when winding up the debate on the Auditor-General's Report for his ministry in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (Oct 7).
He said the ministry was disappointed with Lunas' delays and performance, which he said affected the readiness of the armed forces and national defence.
Mohamed Khaled also said the delays stated in the earlier Auditor-General's Report Series 2/2026 involved core components of the ships.
This includes piping, cabling, equipment installation and inspection, as well as work involving accommodation areas, panels and catering facilities.
"These delays have had a knock-on effect on subsequent activities such as testing the ship’s systems, as well as trials and commissioning, including the Harbour Acceptance Test and Sea Acceptance Test," he said.
Mohamed Khaled said the ship would be accepted without the naval strike missile (NSM), after Norway cancelled the supply.
He disputed the Auditor-General's Report projection that the first LCS would only be completed in December 2035, saying it was based on the eight-year timeframe under the existing Norway contract.
He said that contract had been extended because missile components needed US approval, which took two to three years, followed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The ministry is considering alternative missiles from South Korea's LIG Nex1, Turkey or France's MBDA, which would take about three years to deliver, he said.
"That is why the projection that the LCS would only be completed in December 2035 is inaccurate and untrue," he said.
Mohamed Khaled said that even without the NSM, the ship would carry surface-to-air missiles, anti-submarine weapons, an electronic warfare system and a combat management system integrated with its radar.
If enemy ships posed a threat, the Navy could detect them and alert the Air Force to carry out strikes, he said.
He said the ministry had issued a notice of liquidated ascertained damages (LAD) to Lunas "to show our seriousness and that we will not compromise on delays".
