PETALING JAYA: The construction of the Royal Malaysian Navy’s (RMN) fourth littoral mission ship (LMS) from China has been completed, although the actual handover ceremony will only be conducted in November.
The RMN said the LMS was safely lowered into Wuhan sea waters on Dec 16 but the ceremony would have to be postponed to next year due to ongoing travel restrictions because of the pandemic.
This is the final ship under a RM1.17 billion contract signed between Putrajaya and the China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co Ltd (CSOC) in 2017, the country’s first-ever naval ship contract with China.
It will join the vessels Keris, Sundang and the third ship in the 11th LMS Squadron once it completes a series of sea trials.
“The would-be sailors of the fourth LMS are expected to be sent to China in early April to be trained to man the vessel,” the RMN said in a statement today.
The procurement was conducted under a contract between Malaysia’s defence ministry and Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd with CSOC.