The Malaysian navy has spent more than a decade waiting for its new littoral combat ships (LCS), a flagship upgrade meant to enhance its presence in the contested waters.
Malaysia is now weighing replacement offers from several countries, with Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin saying on Sunday that the government’s priority was to find a system that would not force costly redesigns of ships already under construction.
“So far, there are three to four countries that have submitted offers,” Khaled told state news agency Bernama during a visit to Turkey, where he said meetings were held between Malaysian officials and several parties to look for a suitable replacement.
“We are holding meetings, especially with the navy, to provide solutions, and the navy will certainly conduct evaluations of these four offers before they are brought to the government,” he said.