KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 – The country’s first littoral combat ship (LCS) which is scheduled for completion next year will have to undergo operational testing for 22 to 24 months before commissioning, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
He said the operational testing involved two assessments, namely harbour and sea trials.
Mohamad said the habour trial was conducted to test the ship’s buoyancy and maneuverability.
“After the harbour trial, this ship will have to undergo operational testing at sea which takes between 22 and 24 months months before it could be commissioned.
“So when we say it’s ready, it means the ship has undergone the harbour and sea trials,” he said in reply to a supplementary question from Nordin Ahmad Ismail (PN-Lumut) about the actual total cost of the LCS project after the procurement of the first batch of LCS was reduced from six to five ships during the oral question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.
