Kuala lumpur: The decision on the acquisition of the third batch of littoral mission ships (LMS) for the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) is expected to be finalised only after the tabling of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), slated for later this month. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin confirmed this when addressing speculation surrounding the purchase of new naval vessels, following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent visit to Italy.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, all new acquisitions will be confirmed after the tabling of the 13MP. During the Prime Minister’s recent visits to Italy and France, the matter was among the topics discussed. The countries involved have also expressed willingness to offer credit facilities should Malaysia proceed with any procurement involving their assets, which could include infrastructure or public amenities support. Mohamed Khaled made these remarks at a press conference after launching the LTAT Foundation’s Five Education Initiative Programmes.
On July 2, Anwar held meetings in Rome with leaders of major Italian defence and energy firms, including Fincantieri, Leonardo, and ENI, to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the defence and energy sectors. The visit also saw the announcement of potential investments worth RM8.13 billion.
During Mohamed Khaled’s official visit to Trkiye in June last year, the Ministry of Defence had awarded a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) for the procurement of three second-batch LMS vessels to Turkish defence firm Savunma Teknolojileri Muhendislik (STM). These second-batch LMS vessels are based on STM’s Ada-class corvette design and are equipped for multiple roles, including patrol missions and anti-submarine warfare (ASW). Each of the ships will also be armed with ATMACA surface-to-surface missiles and air defence systems.
Capable of operating at sea for up to 14 days, each vessel can accommodate 111 crew members and will include a helipad and hangar for a medium-lift ASW helicopter or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Malaysia previously spent over RM1 billion to acquire four first-batch LMS vessels from China, which have been gradually integrated into the RMN’s fleet since 2020.