Kuala Lampur:First paragraph of the news story.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, progress on piping and wiring work for Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) 1 and 2 remains behind target, posing risks to subsequent construction activities and the targeted physical handover (PHO) of LCS 1. As of June 25, piping work on LCS 1 and LCS 2 had reached only 87.70% and 74.73%, respectively, resulting in delays of 12.30 and 25.27 percentage points.

The delays involved 4,113 pipe spools following design changes that required rework, including pipe rerouting to meet performance targets and resolve clashes. Meanwhile, wiring work on LCS 1 and LCS 2 had reached 51.41% and 43.49%, respectively, representing delays of 48.59 and 56.51 percentage points. The wiring work delays are partly due to rework following design revisions involving 95 cable tray changes and 85 penetration changes.

Delays in both piping and wiring work could affect subsequent construction work and the targeted PHO of LCS 1. Feedback from the Defence Ministry (MINDEF) on July 20 and August 13 indicated that piping work for LCS 1 and LCS 2 uses a mix of pipe spools from the original and revised designs, while LCS 3 to LCS 5 use the revised design exclusively.

The delay was first identified in November 2025, following a comment from the Design Authority, Naval Group. As of July 2026, piping work on LCS 1 had reached 100%, while LCS 2 stood at 96%. This progress was driven by the contractor's decision to introduce three work shifts from January 23, 2024, to accelerate completion.

However, the LCS Project Management (PPLCS) could not verify the progress of the piping and cabling work because, as of July 2026, the contractor had not submitted reports or evidence that the work had been carried out in line with the reported progress. PPLCS will only verify work progress formally submitted by the contractor, with only work that has been physically verified and fully supported by documentation recognised as confirmed progress. It was noted that the actual physical progress of some activities exceeded the verified progress, but only verified and confirmed work is recorded, with unverified work excluded.