SHAH ALAM: After waiting for some 29 months and three governments, the LCS project has finally been approved for resumption of work, Defence Minister DS Hishammuddin Hussein said yesterday. In a release issued on April 21, Hishammuddin said the Cabinet at its meeting that day has approved the resumption of the project.
However, it will take some six months for the project to be restarted as there were still various negotiations to be completed, first. So if we are lucky actual work at the yard will start this October or November. From the release it is likely all six LCS will be completed though it was not stated expressly.
As expected, Hishammuddin did not state any financial cost of the project apart from saying that the vendors of the project have financial commitments of RM4 billion. As the government already has paid some RM6.1 billion for the project, we can assumed that the RM9.1 billion ceiling price will be breached. As I stated earlier, the estimates for the project cost – if it was started in January 2022 – was RM14 billion.
Why is the estimates to restart the project important? The previous defence minister had already told the government will not pay more than the ceiling price (RM9.1 billion) though he did not say who will pay for the higher costs. I am told that Boustead Heavy Engineering Corporation (BHIC) – the parent company of BNS – will pay for the the costs overrun (some RM5 billion) by issuing an Islamic sukuk (bonds).
How will they for pay for it then? By building the LMS Batch II of course and other ships for the RMN! Will this be the government’s line, I have no idea. Technically as the Boustead group of companies are owned by LTAT, it is the taxpayers who will be ultimately paying for it.
The release from Hishammuddin:
STATUS TERKINI LCS: KABINET SEBULAT SUARA LULUS PROJEK PEROLEHAN
LCS DITERUSKAN
1. Dalam usaha menyelesaikan isu perolehan kapal Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), ia satu
perjalanan yang panjang dan mencabar. Sesi PAC mengenai LCS telah diadakan
sebanyak 10 kali di mana saya sendiri dipanggil menghadap PAC pada 25 Januari
lalu selain telah menjawab soalan tentang LCS di Dewan Rakyat sebanyak 10 kali.
2. Selain itu, mendapatkan konsensus dan kerjasama semua pihak berkepentingan dalam
Jawatankuasa Khas Kabinet yang dipengerusikan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana
Menteri, YB Dato’ Seri Mustapha Mohamed termasuk Kementerian Pertahanan,
Kementerian Kewangan, Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM), Lembaga Tabung
Angkatan Tentera (LTAT), Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS), Implementation
Coordination Unit (ICU), Economic Planning Unit (EPU) dan Jabatan Peguam Negara
juga merupakan salah satu usaha yang amat penting.
3. Sesi lawatan tapak di Lumut, Perak pula telah diadakan sebanyak 9 kali oleh
stakeholders utama – 2 kali oleh Menteri Pertahanan sebelum ini (YAB Dato’ Sri Ismail
Sabri dan YB Mohamad Sabu), sekali oleh Jawatankuasa Khas Kabinet, sekali oleh
Menteri Pembangunan Usahawan dan Koperasi, sekali oleh Jawatankuasa Kira-Kira
Wang Negara (PAC) dan 4 kali oleh LTAT, Ketua Setiausaha (KSU) serta Timbalan
KSU.
4. Alhamdulillah, selepas segala usaha dan pendekatan ini, hari ini menerusi Mesyuarat
Jemaah Menteri yang dipengerusikan YAB Perdana Menteri, Kabinet sebulat suara
memuktamadkan supaya projek perolehan LCS diteruskan.
5. Keputusan ini dibuat Kabinet setelah mengambil kira dua faktor utama:-
i. Pertama, LCS sememangnya aset yang amat dimahukan dan diperlukan
oleh TLDM. Bukan sahaja untuk memenuhi perancangan pemodenan TLDM di
bawah Transformasi 15 to 5, malah lebih penting untuk meningkatkan
kesiapsiagaan pasukan armada kita serta menambahbaik usaha memelihara
kepentingan maritim negara. Saya percaya keputusan hari ini dapat
meningkatkan lagi moral dan semangat anggota TLDM untuk terus berjuang
demi kedaulatan tanah air.
ii. Kedua, terdapat 400 vendor yang terlibat dalam projek ini dengan implikasi
kewangan lebih RM4 billion. Daripada jumlah ini:
• Lebih 100 daripadanya adalah syarikat milik rakyat Malaysia. 90% daripadanya ada hubung kait dengan veteran.
• Majoriti mereka berada di Lumut terutama pekerja berkemahiran/pakar/ahli keluarga mereka.6. Jadi, keputusan ini juga merupakan sebahagian daripada usaha membela kebajikan
veteran ATM, isteri, anak serta ahli keluarga mereka. Saya ambil maklum, vendorvendor ini mengikuti rapat perkembangan usaha menyelesaikan isu LCS ini dan mereka
pastinya gembira dengan keputusan ini.
7. Dengan keputusan ini, tiada lagi persoalan sama ada perolehan LCS akan diteruskan
ataupun tidak. Kini, semua pihak yang berkepentingan boleh bergerak ke hadapan dan
fokus untuk menjayakannya.
8. Paling penting, setiap mekanisma penambahbaikan yang dicadangkan khususnya oleh
Jawatankuasa Khas Kabinet harus dilaksanakan sebaik mungkin supaya perancangan
dan garis masa yang ditetapkan kali ini dapat ditepati sepenuhnya.
9. Komitmen lebih besar ialah memastikan segala isu ketirisan sebelum ini tidak berulang.
Semua pihak yang terlibat kali ini khususnya BNS yang sedang diterajui pengurusan
baru mesti memainkan peranan masing-masing dengan telus dan bertanggungjawab.
10. Kelulusan Kabinet ini hanyalah peringkat permulaan yang baik. Namun, terdapat
beberapa lagi langkah ke hadapan untuk melangkapkan Pelan Pemulihan antaranya
“Proses Mobilisasi” dalam tempoh 6 bulan mendatang. Ini akan melibatkan rundingan
antara bank, vendor dan pihak OEM. Tidak terkecuali, rundingan dengan pihak Perancis
daripada segi reka bentuk dan komitmen Kerajaan Perancis. Ini semua bermula
sekarang.
11. Dalam masa yang sama, agensi-agensi lain yang berkaitan termasuk SPRM juga digesa
untuk mempercepatkan peranan masing-masing bagi memastikan setiap proses yang
perlu dilalui berjalan lancar.
12. Kabinet akan menubuhkan sebuah Jawatankuasa Tadbir Urus Khas yang bakal
dipengerusikan oleh Ketua Setiausaha Perbendaharaan Kementerian Kewangan
serta KSU Kementerian Pertahanan. Jawatankuasa ini ditugaskan memantau secara
dekat terutama proses dalam tempoh 6 bulan mendatang dan melaporkan
perkembangannya kepada Kabinet pada setiap bulan.
13. Saya juga ingin tegaskan, keputusan meneruskan projek LCS tidak bermakna pihak
yang terlibat salah laku dalam projek sebelum ini akan terlepas begitu sahaja.
SPRM telah menahan reman dua CEO sebelum ini dan SPRM juga digesa untuk
percepatkan siasatan. Siapa jua yang bersalah pasti akan dihadapkan ke muka
pengadilan.
14. Perincian lebih lanjut tentang bagaimana projek ini akan diteruskan akan dimaklumkan
dari masa ke masa
— Malaysian Defence
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Good. This mean all 6 LCS will be completed. All this 6 LCS together with 8 LMS Batch II that evolved to the corvette at least makes RMN/TLDM has better major surface combatants (frigate & corvette) then before. I also believed Lekiu-class frigate will also received upgrade in the future to augment the fleet. (I hope)
If the decision is to complete all 6 Gowinds whatever the cost is, then there is virtually no need for LMS Batch 2 to be buit to the revised specification. With this, how would be the project timeline? Can we see the lead ship completed in 12 months? Will there be money to buy the VL MICA that was designed for the ship?
So need to reboot (for the upteenth time) the LMS to become a multi-purpose ship again. With much lower price than the chinese built LMS to offset the cost to complete the LCS Gowind.
Still the biggest elephant in the room is, where will the money actually be coming from?
So it seems that it is not from the government budget. If they do the BNS sukuk, basically it will be the retired servicemen that will be paying for all the mistakes (through LTAT).
BNS will continue putting out mediocre but super expensive ships to cover the sukuk.
Still need to see how does RMN plan now with this new decision. 15 to 5 is dead. There is no need for RMN to have 18 PVs. With 6 Gowinds to be completed, RMN could be shaped into
6x Gowinds (by 2030)
4x Large Frigates 2031-2040 to replace lekiu and kasturi
4x Scorpenes (hopefully by 2030)
24x LMS batch 2 (2026-2035) that is cheaper (target half the price) than of the batch 1. 50-60m only. With multi purpose deck. Having same speed (28 knots) and range (5000nm at 15 knots) as Gowinds.
My summary:
1. LCS will restart, Yay! But no mention on the costing, Boo! Basically this is an GE15 focused announcement, to make those involved happy while not raising ire of the wider rakyat by telling how much more it would cost taxpayers. In between the 6 months, we can expect a GE so this news is just to make people happy without spending money yet.
2. It has turn into a weird cycle, the LCS used to bail out Kedahs and in turn the LMS Batch 2(likely will be new Kedahs) used to bail out LCS. I foresee if we did not budget sufficient extra funding, this new LMS builds will also suffer the same fate.
3. There will be a Cabinet committee to oversee the rest of the progress, hopefully with regular transparent reporting to the Cabinet.
4. “rundingan dengan pihak Perancis daripada segi reka bentuk dan komitmen Kerajaan Perancis” What does that means? BNS still not managed to solve their design problem and needing NAVAL help now? And what does French Govt has to do with it? Funny.
Nope the Lekius are done as the Kasturis as foreseen by the 15 to 5 plan. When is the million dollar question
Whats the news on the MMEA Tun Fatimah class OPV?
gonggok – ”Still need to see how does RMN plan now with this new decision. 15 to 5 is dead. There is no need for RMN to have 18 PVs.”
It died a natural death years ago as I kept pointing out. Inevitable given that it was a product of its time; driven by prevailing political and other factors; factors beyond the RMN’s control – the first nail in the coffin was the 4 Chinese built LMSs.
There is indeed no need for the RMN to have follow on fully fitted out Kedahs [not to perform as ”PVS’ or ‘OPVs’ as per the original plan] if LMS Batch 2s are funded on time and per spec. As it stands even though follow on Kedahs were included in the 15/15; little likelihood of any been actually ordered. The question is whether any existing programmes or ones already approved will be scaled back.
Rock – ”RMN/TLDM has better major surface combatants (frigate & corvette) then before.”
That was always the plan. Years ago the plan was to have 6 Lekius backed by FACs and Laksamanas but as time passed this plan evolved. I wouldn’t be so quick to apply the ”better” term however as it really remains to be seen how future surface platforms are fitted out and the level of integration.
This restarting require much support and commitment with the Main Contractor (Where Ex-Services also here) ,Design Authority and RMN Project Team, in ensuring no more unrealistic changes and addition were made (even small changes but many and affecting design) that make this so call \”Prototype Ship\” could not deliver at all due to additional time required and cost overruns. But, changes of obsolete equipment is expected and to be done carefully, according to performance required and volume available. (We are the 1st country using Gowind Class Design, but Egypt Navy got it operational 1st). Hope for the best for our Nation and Navy.
None so far
So basically its, we will restart. But construction will only restart after 6 months. There is a lot of issues to resolve but we don’t really have a full picture of the issues therefore don’t have all the answers and solutions. We have a dollar amount we need to pay but we don’t know how much the entire project will eventually cost. We have a plan, to set up a committee to develop a plan, which includes a plan to make sure things will not repeat, and a plan to make sure the ships are completed, and maybe another plan to plan how we plan to find and prosecute the wrongdoers. So basically, what we have is a media statement with a plan to restart the program, which first require plans to create many different plans in order to make sure any plans we decide to execute will be done according to the plan. But first let us taichi to a new committee which will be led by the Ministry of Finance, and wait for the Ministry of Finance to develop their own plan and tell us what plan the Ministry of Defence should follow when Mindef develop’s their own plan. How convenient for the Minister of Defence.
By August I am told, if all goes well
Joe – “rundingan dengan pihak Perancis daripada segi reka bentuk dan komitmen Kerajaan Perancis” What does that means”
Something to do with the french pride i assume?. Some time ago naval news run a sensationalized story about UAE gowind as the 1st french design ship not to be equipped with french missiles.
Joe – “It has turn into a weird cycle, the LCS used to bail out Kedahs and in turn the LMS Batch 2(likely will be new Kedahs) used to bail out LCS. I foresee if we did not budget sufficient extra funding, this new LMS builds will also suffer the same fate”
We achieve bailoutception 🤭
Personally i do think Petronas which extract huge somes of $$$ in SCS which owned a pretty successful yard with commercial customer & plenty of expertise & $$$ would eventually be called to chip in to complete the bailoutception as like when baustead are called to perform the national service of bailing out the Kedah.
As for the LMS2 being the new Kedah. IMHO not that true. Under the original 15to5 most of their current fleet to be replaced by LMS & NGPC. But under the current navy chief, seems the LMS & NGPC is merge into 1.
So LMS2 would actually be replacing all of their current fleet be it the Kedah,Lekiu,kasturi,perdana,laksamana or Mahameru in a single hull. Trading quantity for quality.
as per DWP
“Bagi operasi maritim di dalam kawasan teras, ATM akan mengaturgerak Kapal Misi
Pesisir (Littoral Mission Ship, LMS) yang boleh menjalankan pelbagai misi termasuk SAR dan HADR, antikeganasan dan antipelanunan, pengumpulan risikan dan peninjauan, hidrografi dan antiperiuk api. LMS adalah reka bentuk modular dan boleh dilengkapi dengan senjata dan sistem tambahan untuk memenuhi keperluan operasi masa hadapan”
“ZMM sangat luas meliputi ZEE, pelantar benua dan ruang udara di atasnya. Keupayaan udara dan maritim diperlukan untuk meningkatkan MDA untuk memberi gambaran operasi yang lebih baik di kawasan lanjutan. ATM perlu mencapai Kawalan Laut (Sea Control) di permukaan dan bawah permukaan melalui Penafian Laut (Sea Denial) dan Penegasan Laut (Sea Assertion). Justeru, ATM bergantung pada dua kelas kapal perang iaitu Kapal Tempur Pesisir (Littoral Combat Ship, LCS) dan Kapal Ronda Generasi Baru (New Generation Patrol Vessel, NGPV) yang mampu melaksanakan operasi di kawasan ini dengan jarak, ketahanan dan keupayaan yang diperlukan”.
RMN Plan A for frigate capability is the LCS Gowind.
Because of the uncertainty of the LCS Gowind project for the most part of 3 years now (before the recent announcement), RMN was forced to tweak its LMS Batch 2 program to be the Plan B to fill its frigate capability. With the recent announcement, hopefully the Plan B will not be needed.
https://www.malaysiandefence.com/et-tu-lms-batch-ii/
With no need for a Plan B, the LMS Batch 2 program could return to what the RMN originally wants, a small multi role platform.
My idea of an ideal LMS Batch 2
– small fast ship, with modular multi-role capability, with the speed and range to execute naval missions together with the LCS Gowind if needed (like a wingman of a jet fighter)
– each at a cost ceiling of 30-35 million dollars (half of the chinese LMS68)
– 50-60m length
– 20-30 crew only (vs LMS68 45 crew). To have 2 crews for each ship.
– 30mm RCWS main gun
– radar with similar capability of SAAB Giraffe 1X 3D AESA.
– 28 knots top speed (same as Gowind)
– 5000nm range at 15 knots (same as Gowind)
– to be able to carry modular systems such as missile module, MCM module, ASW module (thin line towed array). Could also be used to lay mines. Ship cost must include the missile module.
– missile module consisting of anti-ship missile 1/2 the size and weight of the MM40 exocet. Plus vertically lauched short range missiles. Ideal missiles are the Roketsan Cakir for anti-ship missile (150km range), and vertical launch MMW radar seeker version of the AGM-114 Hellfire (8km range). The Hellfire could be used for limited anti aircraft capability against slow moving aircrafts, helicopters, UAVs. The missile module ideally to have up to 8x Cakir and 32x Hellfire.
http://www.aa.com.tr/uploads/userFiles/009e644c-8e6c-4158-bc48-251c88ef7fae/1april.jpg
– A small low cost ASW module of thin line towed array sonar. Something like the SEA Kraitarray. To deploy with Gowind Frigate on ASW mission, consisting of 1 Gowind Frigate as the lead ship and 2 LMS with ASW module.
http://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2019/10/sea-completes-sea-trials-of-kraitsense-low-profile-passive-sonar-system/
– MCM role to operate with an OSV as the lead ship for MCM mission, with LMS supporting recovery and reload of UUVs.
Any updates on muhammad amin’s progress with the re hull or something
Dont put your hopes up..We’ve already heard this tune for far too many times already..So there is mismanagement and ‘songlap’ somewhere but the govt instead turn a blind eye and slow in actions..If we are lucky they will resume building the fist one next year if the govt today remain after pru ofcourse..Building LMS batch 2? After all this LCS fiasco? Oh H*ll No..
@5zaft
Prolly cuz we still haven’t procured the MICA missiles yet. Maybe some further nego or some TOT or trade off with the French.
Unlikely there will be another GLC used to bailout BNS, as stated they will be funded officially with BHIC sukuks but unofficially to be added on with funding from LMS2. I suspect the ministry might have ‘persuaded’ TLDM to amalgamate their LMS & Kedah programs into a single type ship class under an evolved 15to5. As it stands nobody really cares about DWP, TLDM will follow their 15to5 Plan however it has evolved and the current Govt won’t give a hoot to plan they did not create other than lip service.
No matter how many committees you have, if the project manager cannot freeze the specifications or manage the change requests, the delays will be tremendous
Until the ship is not at sea, I will take this word as just a word.
What is the use of the LMS if the ship doesn’t even have the capabilities of Singaporean LMS… White elephant or what.. even the Chinese coast guard ships are better equipped then our LMS…
Guna – ”What is the use of the LMS if the ship doesn’t even have the capabilities of Singaporean LMS…”
Do you have a crystal ball, a soothsayer, druid or an oracle you can consult? If you don’t; best wait and see how things play out. The Batch 2s will not be guns only armed ships.
As for the RSN’s ships; it’s not their capabilities per see at a platform level but the level of integration with others assets as part of a network centric environment.
Finally. The Rakyat will finally pay sooner or later
At least the rakyat will pay more and see these ships rather than pay less and see no ships.
Lee – ”The Rakyat will finally pay sooner or later”
The ”rakyat” always end up paying; whether for grandiose projects; privatisation; etc, etc. If not the ”rakyat”/taxpayer who else; can’t be Beavis and Butthead or Father Christmas. If the armed services get into a conflict and find themselves unprepared/underequipped; they will also pay. The politicians and bureaucrats will go on as usual.
Bongok la semua ni! Let’s see when these ships end up in Lumut Naval Base. How many years from now, and how much extra money will it take to get these ships operational. This is one of the worst project deliveries of our time, and at the end of the day, the requirement for more ships like these to defend our sovereignty, protect our shores and economic resources at sea are just words spat out in the name of filling a select few people’s pockets with no regard to the original intent.
The positive lining here is TLDM will get all their ships; not 2, not 4, but all 6 fully fitted warships. The only question is when. At the very least we have shown persistence in that matter, with the Kedahs, with the Gagahs.
Yes, because we had to as we would have lost tonnes of money if we decided to cancel it altogether
Joe,
Yes the good news is that RMN will get all 6 Gowinds that it wanted. Also it seems that any cost overrun would be in the short term covered by BNS islamic bonds. We still need to know what is the new timeline for all 6 Gowinds to be completed (which should be publicly announced in 6 months time).
But whats next? Are everything to be swept under the carpet again and to be repeated in the near future? How can we use whatever that has happened to really reboot the malaysian defence ecology?
– Naval manufacturing and services need to be consolidated. I am for BNS to be sold and merged with MMHE (and in effect Petronas). BHIC then to use the proceeds to takeover AIROD and merge it with BHIC AeroServices. So BHIC exiting shipbuilding industry but consolidating to aerospace industry
– A clear long term naval (RMN + MMEA) shipbuilding plan needs to be drawn. A plan of at least 10-15 years into the future, with revisits evary 5 years. To include refit plans, and building of small boats. Not to give any orders to new fly by night companies. Big companies cannot take tenders for small boats and vice versa. A big order but to an existing design should be given to 2 companies instead of just 1. To involve every existing shipbuilding entities in Semenanjung, Sabah and Sarawak. To include proper disposal/reselling/trade-in plans of existing ships.
– A proper all encompassing 15-year Malaysian Maritime Security Plan that includes all players under MINDEF and KDN. To ensure that our small budget is not wasted on duplication of tasks.
I doubt we had seriously considered cancelling altogether as it is just too big to fail kind of project. So there were many speculations and hypothesis that we would only afford for 2 or even 4 units but now we at least got reassurance that all 6 ships will eventually be completed and delivered, so that’s a good thing.
gonggok – ”How can we use whatever that has happened to really reboot the malaysian defence ecology?”
We won’t because there is no urgency or intent; doing so would necessitate the need to admit what we’ve long been doing it flawed and self defeating and that will never happen. We also have to start from the very beginning; the defence policy. If that is flawed to begin with …
gonggok – ” A clear long term naval (RMN + MMEA) shipbuilding plan needs to be drawn. A plan of at least 10-15 years into the future, with revisits evary 5 years”
Long term plans are not the problem; the services do have long term plans which they adjust periodically, The problem is the politicians sticking to the plans.
The suggestion was for BHIC to buy out the current management of Airod, so the old issues will resolved in one swoop, hopefully
I have been waiting for this first of class ship to be finally commissioned. There’s no way the PH Navy’s new corvette will be finished before the first LCS is commissioned, right?
Actually, no where in the media statement does it say 6 ships will be built. Minister of Defence earlier hinted that it is likely they will look at the first 2 ships first before deciding on the rest. Malaysians say its too big too fail, but how much are Malaysians willing to spend? It is already expected to breach the RM12b given the shipyard cannot guarantee RM12b (RM6b already disbursed + RM6b requested by the shipyard) is sufficient to complete the first 2 ships. Assuming RM12b does complete 2 ships and it will cost RM1b per ship thereafter, 6 ships will cost RM16b. Take the difference between cut-loss at RM9b and final cost of RM16b (being RM7b) and then think of what can be bought with that amount – more LMS Batch 2? Funding for LMS Batch 3? New MRSS? Proper MPA? RM16b LCS price tag is just the optimistic value. It is more likely it will cost more than that. Hence I believe the government has only committed to 2 ships at a ceiling of RM12b not 6 ships like what people seem to believe. Even if the shipyard can deliver all 6 ships on time and on spec, does anyone actually think a ship conceived in 2011, and started construction in 2015, to be still effective in 2030? Also everyone seem to forget that the 6 NGPV was completed only because everything else but its guns were stripped off. Yes, the Navy bought the weapons and systems for the LCS based on lessons learnt from the NGPV program, but advanced weapons integration is something the shipyard has no experience doing. So what are the odds the LCS will be missing a fair bit of equipment just to meet the “we have completed 6 LCS” claim?
“Big companies cannot take tenders for small boats”
What is your definition of ‘big companies’ and your definition of ‘small boat’?
“given to 2 companies instead of just 1”
That will just unnecessary increase the cost, for less than 10 like LCS there is no financial justification to give it to 2 companies to build. One is enough, a financially sound & technically capable one.
We cannot have a strict build plan as that will lock in certain assumptions, decisions favouritism & preferences of the current decisionmakers. The TLDM 15to5 advocates certain ship types & capabilities to be had and it is supplier agnostic so as to keep options open with new developments & technology plus having no such favouritism or biases.
“duplication of tasks”
Nobody likes to do the other’s jobs but at the moment certain tasks still needed to handled by those given the responsibilities even if they didn’t want it (ie TUDM needing to haul the army, TLDM needing to do EEZ & shore enforcement, TDM needing to do joint patrols with PDRM during Ops Benteng) until those who supposed to do it get the proper resources & support to fully take on the job.
They could actually as HHI could built the corvette pretty fast
@Kel
1.Based on precedent, we have always completed all those committed within the batch, the Kedahs, the Gagahs, so LCS would merely be following precedence to complete all 6 ships.
2.Weapons and materials have been ordered for all 6 ships and 5 ships are on the slipway in various states of build.
3.The Cabinet has committed to fulfill TLDM’s 15to5Plan and that includes 6 LCS, so it is indicative that all 6 will be completed and delivered eventually.
4.As I said before, has anyone questioned the total cost of Kedah delays, transition from PSC to BNS, and restart? Malaysians have less regards of these cost of failures, because ultimately it will be delivered anyhow.
5.Funding for other TLDM projects will come, likely later than planned but it will eventually to fulfill TLDM’s requirements. After all, quite many TLDM projects do involve local jobs so there are political incentives to build more ships.
6.The LCS will still be effective in its role envisaged as long it gets the appropriate upgrades & SLEP at the required time frame.
7.No, the Kedahs were planned to be FFBNW early on in the project decisionmaking. They were completed because they were needed and it was planned for 6 ships in that batch.
8.Weapons integration will be done with NAVAL and the OEMs respectively. Except the NSM, most of the other weapons & sensors are standard with Gowind class type.
9.The VL MICA are not yet bought and perchance we might just get MICA NG which are very newly integrated onboard ships. Otherwise, every other weapons and mission equipment would have been bought already.