27-04-2025
Royal Malaysian Navy Continues To Defend Sovereignty Of Malaysia's Seas
By Noraizura Ahmad
KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 (Bernama) -- The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) continues to strengthen its role as the country's main line of maritime defence through the implementation of various strategic initiatives that reflect its high commitment to the country's sovereignty and safety of its waters.
Chief of Navy Admiral Datuk Zulhelmy Ithnain said that the success of the procurement of new assets - including the Littoral Mission Ship Batch 2 (LMSB2), Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and Fast Interceptor Craft (FIC) - proved that the Navy was on the right track in improving combat readiness and capabilities.
'The keel laying of the LMSB2 was completed on April 8 at Istanbul Shipyard, Turkiye marking an important phase of ship construction that is estimated to be completed in mid 2026 before being handed over to the RMN at the end of 2007,' he told Bernama in conjunction with the 91st Navy Day with the theme 'TLDM Perkasa, Kedaulatan Terpelihara' today.
Zulhelmy also shared that the LC1 is expected to be handed over to the Navy in Aug 2026 while the start of construction for LCS 2 and LCS 3 would be in June 2025 and January 2026 respectively.
'From the 19 FIC units approved in 2020 to support Op Benteng, 14 have been received and the rest are expected to arrive at the end of this year,' he said.
Zulhelmy also said that the RMN planned to procure two Multi Role Support Ships (MRSS), three LMS Batch 3 and four Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) helicopters, all of which will be operational before 2035 under the 13th Malaysia Plan.
'These assets will not only strengthen the element of 'prevent resist' but also contribute to the Navy's combat capabilities and would be developed through partnerships between local and international shipyeards to empower the national defence industry sustainably and reduce dependency on foreign original equipment manufacturers,' he said.
To ensure continuity of operations, Zulhelmy the Navy is focusing on vital infrastructure development such as the construction of the Naval Region 4 Headquarters (MAWILLA 4) in Sarawak to protect national strategic interests in Borneo waters.
