RMN plans to acquire second batch of LMS this year - Navy Chief

KUALA LUMPUR: The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) is planning to acquire a second batch of Littoral Mission Ships (LMS) this year.

In confirming the matter, Chief of Navy Admiral Tan Sri Mohd Reza Mohd Sany said the allocation to acquire the assets is being worked out by RMN and Senior Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.

He said RMN planned to acquire at least three more LMS this year in addition to four units of LMS received by RMN in first batch of ships earlier.

"So far, at RMN level, we have opened the proposal to several countries among them, China, Netherlands, and Turkey and we have shortlisted several proposals.

"We will only select the successful company to build the LMS when RMN receives its allocation," he told Bernama when met at Defence Services Asia (DSA) and National Security Asia (Natsec) 2022 exhibitions here today.

The first four units of the navy's LMS were KD Sundang which was commissioned on March 5 last year, KD Badik (Oct 20, 2021), KD Keris (April 15, 2019) and KD Rencong (Jan 28, 2022).

Mohd Reza said the acquisition of the second batch of LMS was planned to replace the existing aging RMN assets.

Meanwhile, Mohd Reza said RMN is also expected to receive two AW139 Maritime Utility Helicopters in April and another in September.

"The three helicopters would be based in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and for the subsequent acquisition, we would be making them in the coming years.

Commenting on the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), Mohd Reza hoped the government would make the decision soon on whether to proceed with Boustead or otherwise.

"As we are aware, Boustead has problems on LCS and RMN hoped the government would make a decision at the end of this year. RMN is of the view that the project (LCS) should proceed as it has been going for so long," he said.

In early January, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) detained two chief executive officers of a company involved in the contract to acquire six LCS ships.

Both of them were suspected of misappropriation and receiving bribes via payments made to three companies abroad.

-- BERNAMA