Malaysia to acquire only five Maharaja Lela class frigates.

According to information published by the New Straits Times on January 30, 2023, the procurement of the first batch of the Maharaja Lela class frigates has been reduced from six to five vessels.
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Maharaja Lela class frigate Maharaja Lela. (Picture source: Royal Malaysian Navy)

The Maharaja Lela-class frigate, also known as the littoral combat ship (LCS), is a class of six stealth frigates being built for the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN).

The ship is 111 meters in length, with a displacement of 3,100 tons. It has a beam of 16 meters on the main deck and 14.2 meters at the waterline, with a draft of 3.85 meters.

The propulsion system of the Maharaja Lela-class frigate is comprised of four MTU 20V 1163 M94 engines, providing a total output of 29,600 kW, which gives it a maximum speed of 28 knots and a range of 5,000 nautical miles at 15 knots. The ship has a complement of 138 crew members.

The Maharaja Lela-class frigate is equipped with a range of advanced sensors and processing systems, including the Naval Group SETIS combat system, Thales SMART-S Mk2 search radar, Rheinmetall TMEO Mk2 electro-optical tracking system and fire control radar, Thales TUS ASW suite, and Thales Vigile electronic warfare and decoy systems.

The ship's armaments include a Bofors 57 mm gun, two MSI DS30M 30 mm cannon, 16 VL MICA anti-air missiles, 8 Naval Strike Missile SSMs, and 2 triple J+S torpedo launchers.

In addition, the Maharaja Lela-class frigate can carry various types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and helicopters weighing up to 10 tons, and is equipped with a stern hangar and helicopter landing platform to support aviation operations.