Second Malaysian LCS Launched

LUMUT Naval Shipyard (LUNAS) launched the Royal Malaysian Navy’s (RMN) second Littoral Combat Ship–Raja Muda Nala in a naming and launching ceremony held today at the LUNAS shipyard in Lumut, Perak.

The ceremony was attended by the Ruler of Selangor, His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah who is Captain-in-Chief of the RMN and his consort Her Royal Highness Hajah Norashikin as the Royal Sponsor. Also in attendance was the deputy defence minister Adly Zahari, Chief of Defence Force (CDF) General Mohd Nizam Jaffar along with the RMN chief Admiral Zulhelmy Ithnain.

Named after a national hero who led the citizens of Selangor state in their resistance against Dutch domination. In a speech by the deputy minister on behalf of the minister Khaled Nordin, he said, “In this context, the spirit of heroism, struggle, and bravery of Raja Muda Nala is seen as highly fitting and aligned with the capabilities of the RMN’s LCS, which is designed to face various threats in the era of modern warfare.”

“As a mark of respect for Raja Muda Nala’s contributions and legacy, his name is now immortalised on the ship launched today. This illustrious name will become a symbol of the steadfast fighting spirit and strength of the RMN’s fleet in defending the sovereignty and maritime interests of our beloved nation,” he added.

The Raja Muda Nala is currently being fitted out and expected to undergo its Sea Acceptance Tests (SAT) in mid-2026 before being officially handed over to the RMN in 2027. At 111 metres in length, the vessel is the second of five in the Maharaja Lela-class LCS based on the French shipbuilder Naval Group’s Gowind design and armed with various cutting edge equipment.

Armaments of the class include a Bofors 57mm main gun, 30mm guns, Kongsberg anti-ship (ASM) and land-attack Naval Strike Missiles (NSM), 16 cells of vertically launched MBDA VL MICA surface-to-air missiles (SAM) torpedoes, Thales SMART-S Mk2 radar and Kingklip sonar along with Naval Group’s SETIS Combat Management System (CMS). Thales’ CAPTAS-2 towed variable depth sonars and Vigile 100 Mk2 radar electronic support measure (RESM) systems are also onboard.

Presently, the lead vessel Maharaja Lela is still undergoing its harbour acceptance tests (HAT) and sea trials, anticipated to be delivered to the RMN in August 2026. Following that, the subsequent vessel Raja Mahadi will be launched next January. –shp/adj/dl (Pix:MAF)