Malaysian Navy Littoral Combat Ship 1 “Maharaja Lela” Nears Harbour Acceptance Test

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – The Lumut Naval Shipyard (LUNAS) has released a video on its social media platform today (Dec 20, 2024), showcasing the current status of the Littoral Combat Ship 1 (LCS 1) “Maharaja Lela.”

Based on the video shared by LUNAS, LCS 1 “Maharaja Lela” appears ready to proceed to the Harbour Acceptance Trial (HAT) phase.

In its social media post, LUNAS stated, “On November 13, 2024, Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) 1 successfully underwent the upslip process to carry out essential deck work, including hull and corrosion protection, communication and security systems, system modifications, and tank maintenance.”

“After meeting the requirements set by Bureau Veritas, the Naval Group’s Design Authorities, and the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) contract, LCS 1 finally returned to the deck on December 17, 2024, to complete further procedures before entering the setting-to-work phase.”

The upslip process is a critical phase in ship construction, involving thorough inspections and refinements of the ship’s systems, components, and functionalities.

This process ensures the ship adheres to construction standards and design specifications while progressing to subsequent activities such as the “On-Slip Work Completion” and “Setting to Work” phases, leading up to HAT.

The Harbour Acceptance Test (HAT) is a pivotal stage in the acceptance and testing of warships, conducted while the vessel is still at the port or dockyard.

The objective is to ensure the ship’s systems and equipment function as intended and meet specified standards before advancing to the Sea Acceptance Trial (SAT).

Speaking in Parliament recently, Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari revealed that the construction progress of RMN’s first LCS, “Maharaja Lela,” stood at 70.10% as of October 25, 2024.

“According to the milestone schedule outlined in the signed contract, the final construction phase of the first LCS is expected to be completed by the end of this year before undergoing tests such as the Harbour Acceptance Test (HAT) and Sea Acceptance Trial (SAT) by RMN over a two-year period.”

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin also stated that the first LCS is scheduled for delivery to RMN in August 2026.

He noted that the ship would commence the Harbour Acceptance Trial this December, followed by the Sea Acceptance Trial once all systems are installed.

As for the other LCS units, the construction progress reported in June by the Defence Minister showed the second LCS at 64.66%, the third at 56.48%, the fourth at 51.10%, and the fifth at 42.33%.

The Defence Ministry remains confident that the RM11 billion project to construct five LCS vessels will be completed and handed over to RMN in stages, starting in August 2026 — DSA