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Malaysia to incorporate anti-surface missile on Lekiu-class frigate

By Ridzwan Rahmat |

A file image of the Lekiu-class frigate, KD Jebat . The warship's anti-surface missile capabilities are being refreshed amid a proliferation of longer range anti-ship weapons in the region. (Royal Malaysian Navy)

Malaysia will incorporate new surface-to-surface missiles on one of its Lekiu-class frigates, and Janes has been informed that it will likely be the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) from Kongsberg.

This weapon system will be subsumed on first-of-class KD Jebat, which is presently equipped with launchers for the Exocet MM40 missile.

Malaysian Minister of Defence Mohamed Khaled Nordin first disclosed on 16 January via an annual address that the country would incorporate surface-to-surface missiles on Jebat, which have been in service with the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) since November 1999.

Jebat is one of two Lekiu-class frigates that have been supplied to the RMN by then Yarrow Shipbuilders, which is now owned by BAE Systems. Its sister ship, KD Lekiu, was commissioned in October 1999.

Mohamed Khaled did not give details on the system that will be incorporated on the frigate, but a source close to the matter has confirmed to Janes that it will be fitted with the existing stock of NSM launchers and missiles that have been supplied by Kongsberg.

This stock was originally intended for the country's Maharaja Lela-class frigates, but the troubled programme has since been severely delayed by a multitude of factors.

Existing stock

Kongsberg confirmed in 2018 that it received a EUR125 million (USD130 million) contract to supply the RMN with an unspecified number of rounds for the weapon type.

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