[World] Malaysia Lays Keel for Second Littoral Combat Ship

The keel of the second LCS (right) prior to the ceremony. Next to it is the structure of the 1st LCS. [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 MYR 9 billion (USD 2 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 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.

  ★ Janes