Malaysia's first LCS delivery slips to April 2027

Malaysia has delayed delivery of the first Maharaja Lela-class littoral combat ship from December 2026 to April 2027, a four-month slip disclosed by the defence minister. The lead ship is expected to be accepted without its planned Naval Strike Missile capability, while remaining work includes cabling, equipment installation, inspections, accommodation, piping and harbour and sea acceptance trials. Janes also reported that the SMART-S Mk2 radar had not yet been installed during an October visit and that the surface-to-air missile package was still being finalized. The delay affects the first ship’s handover rather than cancellation of the five-ship program.