Malaysia's first LCS delivery slips to April 2027

The first Maharaja Lela-class LCS, seen here at Lumut in October 2026. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)

Malaysia's troubled Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programme has been met with further delays, with the first-of-class now scheduled for handover in April 2027 instead of December 2026.

Malaysian Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin disclosed in parliament on 7 October that the vessel will now be delivered four months later than previously indicated.

The minister also confirmed that the ship will be accepted without its planned Naval Strike Missile (NSM) anti-ship missile capability.

During a visit to Lumut Naval Shipyard (LUNAS) on 5 October, Janes observed that major construction and outfitting activities were still under way aboard the lead ship.

Janes also visually confirmed that the vessel's planned SMART-S Mk 2 air-surveillance radar had not yet been installed on the ship's integrated mast, although navigation and fire-control radar equipment appeared to be in place.

Janes was unable to independently determine the installation status of other combat-system elements during the visit.

Addressing the Malaysian parliament on 7 October, Khaled said LUNAS had informed the Ministry of Defence that it could no longer meet its commitment to hand over the vessel by December 2026.

According to the minister, delays involving cabling, equipment installation, inspections, accommodation spaces, piping, and subsequent testing activities have continued to affect the programme's schedule.

He added that harbour and sea acceptance testing activities had been delayed by the knock-on effects of these issues.

Khaled also informed parliament that the contract for the programme's surface-to-air missile capability had yet to be fully finalised, although a letter of acceptance had been signed and contract documentation was expected to be completed in October 2026.

The first-of-class vessel, Maharaja Lela