Malaysia selects Chinese warships
Malaysia surprised many by its 5 November announcement that it will buy four Littoral Mission Ships (LMS) for the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) from China.
Cost was touted as a major factor in the decision to buy from China, but it also reflects geopolitical realities with under-fire Prime Minister Najib Razak boasting of a ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’ between the two countries.
This is the largest defence acquisition between the two countries, with previous sales limited to the FN-6 man-portable air defence system.
Malaysian Defence Minister Hishamuddin Hussein confirmed that the initial LMS68 order will entail a pair of ships constructed
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
Read this Article
Get access to this article with a Free Basic Account
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 2 free stories per week
- Daily news round-up email service
- Access to all Decisive Edge email newsletters
Unlimited Access
Access to all our premium news as a Premium News 365 Member. Corporate subscriptions available.
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 14-day free trial (cancel at any time)
- Unlimited access to all published premium news
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Can the US Navy afford its plans to operate a manned/unmanned fleet?]()
Can the US Navy afford its plans to operate a manned/unmanned fleet?
Budgetary constraints and the annual procurement rate could impact the branch’s intention to have a hybrid fleet.
-
![Germany and Finland suspect “hybrid sabotage” of undersea infrastructure]()
Germany and Finland suspect “hybrid sabotage” of undersea infrastructure
Without naming a culprit, the defence ministers of both nations expressed concern about “deliberate” severing of undersea internet cables.
-
![US Navy commissions littoral ship Nantucket]()
US Navy commissions littoral ship Nantucket
The vessel will be the 14th Freedom-class littoral ship in the Navy’s current fleet.
-
![Russian vessels exercise in English Channel and off Irish coast]()
Russian vessels exercise in English Channel and off Irish coast
One of the vessels present in both cases was armed with hypersonic cruise missiles.
