Malaysia Lays Keel for Second Littoral Combat Ship

01 Maret 2017

The keel of the second LCS (right) prior to the ceremony. Next to it is the structure of the 1st LCS. (photo : Malaysian Defence)

Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS) has laid down the keel for another 111 m Second Generation Patrol Vessel - Littoral Combat Ship (SGPV-LCS) on order for the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN).

The vessel, which is the second of six 3,000-tonne ships ordered under a MYR9 billion (USD2 billion) contract, was laid on 28 February in a ceremony presided over by the country's deputy defence minister, Mohd Johari Bin Baharum. The programme's first-of-class was laid down in March 2016.

The modules of LCS (image : RMN)

The SGPV-LCS is derived from the Gowind 2500 design produced by French shipbuilder DCNS. The ships will be armed with BAE Systems' 57 mm Mk 3 naval gun, two MSI-Defence Seahawk 30 mm guns, and two J+S 324 mm triple tube torpedo launcher systems.

To bolster the platform's defensive capabilities, Malaysia has reportedly selected the Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile (NSM) anti-ship missile and MBDA VL Mica point defence missile systems.

The first SGPV-LCS is expected to be delivered in early 2019.

(Jane's)