SHAH ALAM: KD Mahawangsa in Lebanon. MPCSS KD Mahawangsa (1504) has arrived at its destination in Beirut, Lebanon, right on schedule. Mahawangsa left for Lebanon on November 30, last year, a resupply mission for the Malaysian UNIFIL peacekeeping force and was scheduled to arrive at Beirut port on January 2.
The ship among others carried six three tonne trucks, two one-tonne truck and an ambulance; ammunition and explosives, communication gear and items to be donated to the Lebanese community. A number of the same vehicles were shipped via commercial means a few months back. From RMN:
𝐊𝐃 𝐌𝐀𝐇𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐒𝐀 𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐓 𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐔𝐇 𝐃𝐈 𝐁𝐄𝐈𝐑𝐔𝐓
BEIRUT, 2 Jan – KD MAHAWANGSA telah selamat tiba di Beirut setelah 34 hari berlayar di lautan dari Malaysia. Ketibaan KD MAHAWANGSA diketuai oleh Pegawai Memerintah, Kepten Mohd Amin bin Mat Tahir TLDM telah disambut oleh Komander MALBATT 850-10, Kolonel Mohd Rizman bin Hj Ramli dan Penasihat Kedutaan Malaysia di Lubnan, Encik Al Izaini bin Che Izhar.
Tujuan utama KD MAHAWANGSA adalah untuk melaksanakan pelayaran International Fleet Review di Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh dan Misi Ulang Bekal MALBATT 850-10 ke Beirut, Lubnan. Tambahan, kapal akan mengerjakan umrah di Makkah, Arab Saudi dan Cross-Op di Kochi, India.
Selain itu, Krew KD MAHAWANGSA akan melaksanakan lawatan ke Kem Marakah disamping akan menjayakan Program Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) bersama-sama warga Harimau 10 di Wadi Jilu Park pada 3 Januari 2023.
As stated above, Mahawangsa will have a stop-over in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to allow her crew to perform the umrah in Mecca and Medina. The ship will also stop in Kochi, India to conduct an exercise likely with the Indian Navy. She is expected to arrive home in Lumut on February 4. The two-month long vovage was probably the reason the RMN tender out a survey of Mahawangsa and KD Indera Satki last year.
— Malaysian Defence