This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on October 25, 2018

KUALA LUMPUR: Boustead Heavy Industries Corp Bhd’s (BHIC) associate company Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (BNS), together with China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co Ltd (CSOC), held a double ceremony yesterday to mark the keel laying for the first Littoral Mission Ship (LMS1) and steel cutting for the second Littoral Mission Ship (LMS2).

The vessels are currently being built at the Wuchang Shipbuilding Industrial Group (WSIG) Shipyard in Shuangliu, China. WSIG Shipyard is experienced in building warships for the navies of various countries.

“The LMS is a new class of Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) warships that will bolster Malaysia’s maritime defence as part of the navy’s 15 to 5 Transformation Plan to replace the ageing RMN warships and create a lean, fit-for-purpose armada,” said BHIC in a statement.

Together with the Littoral Combat Ships currently being built at BNS, the LMS will be a significant addition to boost RMN’s ability to secure the nation’s maritime borders and promote naval diplomacy, said BHIC, noting that 20 Malaysian personnel are involved in the LMS vessel construction at the WSIG Shipyard, comprising eight from BNS and 12 from RMN.

The procurement contract to jointly build the LMS was signed on March 23, 2017 between BNS and the Malaysian government, with CSOC acting as a partner shipyard of BNS, said BHIC.

BHIC said the LMS is capable of operating in multi-mission roles, as a result of the ship’s ability to carry up to three standard ISO containers containing mission modules as well as stern launch boats for quick reaction missions.

“Our close collaboration with RMN’s LMS team as well as the team here in WSIG has contributed to the progress in the construction of the first two units of LMS in China,” said BNS managing director Tan Sri Ahmad Ramli Mohd Nor, who is also BHIC executive deputy chairman and managing director.

“BNS is proud to contribute to national security through the building of these formidable assets. The LMS project also showcases Malaysia’s capabilities in shipbuilding and high technologies, and highlights local skills and talents in constructing sophisticated vessels,” he added.