Malaysian frigate completes detailed design work long after deadline
The KD Maharaja Lela in the water at the Lumut Naval Shipyard. (Photo: LUNAS)
The KD Maharaja Lela, first proposed in 2014, is still not scheduled to be commissioned by the Royal Malaysian Navy until 2026.
The Royal Malaysian Navy and Lumut Naval Shipyard have finally completed the detailed design work on the RMN’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) frigate, just as the first vessel in the LCS fleet is being fitted out for its sea trials.
The landmark occasion would ordinarily be a straightforward part of the process of moving from design to practical sailing, but in the case of the LCS frigates they are both significantly beyond their delivery deadline of October 2023, and over their budget to the tune of MYR1.4 billion (US$340 million).
The vessels, based on French shipbuilder Naval Group’s Gowind 2500
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