Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on the last day of his official visit to Italy that the Malaysian government intended to purchase Fincantieri ships for the Royal Malaysian Navy.
Malaysian Defense Minister Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled bin Nordin said on July 3 that the Malaysian government was seeking a government-to-government deal with Italy for a possible purchase of Fincantieri ships for the Royal Malaysian Navy’s Multi-Role Support Ship and Littoral Mission Vessel Batch 3 programs.
Speaking alongside Anwar during a press conference in Rome at the end of their three day visit, Mohamed Khaled said a government-to-government deal would secure better pricing and “asset guarantees” from the Italian government, adding that any finalized purchase would include other industrial benefits like training centers.
According to Anwar, the procurement of Fincantieri’s offerings will strengthen the relationship between Malaysia and Italy, building on the purchase of the two P-72M maritime patrol aircraft and the leasing of AW139 helicopters for the Malaysian military. Anwar had met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni earlier in the trip, with a Malaysian readout of the meeting stating the two leaders discussed “deepening strategic collaboration across key sectors including investment, defence, sustainable energy, and advanced technologies”.
Under current planning, the Royal Malaysian Navy will procure two Multi-Role Support Ships between 2026 and 2030 if the program is funded by the 13th Malaysia Plan for major government programs for that time period. The 13th Malaysia Plan is currently scheduled for tabling in Parliament on July 31 after the completion of a revamp ordered following the resignation of former Economy Minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli.
Fincantieri is offering its Kalaat Beni-Abbes amphibious landing ship design for the Multi-Role Support Ship program. As operated by the Algerian Navy, the 143 meter long ship can carry up to 450 people in addition to its crew of 152, has a flight deck capable of supporting EH101 helicopter operations, and a floodable deck for launch of landing craft.
The Littoral Mission Ship Batch 3 program will see 3 additional Littoral Mission Ships be purchased between 2026 and 2030 if it is funded under the 13th Malaysia Plan. Fincantreri is offering its FCX20 design, with the design already adopted for the Italian Navy’s future offshore patrol vessel program (PPX).
At the 2025 Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition, Fincantieri announced it had entered a technical collaboration agreement with Malaysian maritime maintenance, repair, and overhaul firm Enra Energy Solutions to jointly market Fincantieri’s offerings to the Royal Malaysian Navy, and facilitate local maintenance and technology transfers if selected.
