Malaysia Upgrades KD Baung with AMOCS Fire Control System to Boost Naval Combat Capabilities

Malaysia Advances Indigenous Naval Capabilities with AMOCS Upgrade on KD Baung

Mohd Hanif Ismail - : Nov 9, 2025 - : 11:45 am

To read the full article, please log in or enter your email below:

Malaysia has taken another visible step in strengthening its domestic defence industrial base by upgrading the missile-capable Fast Attack Craft Gun (FAC(G)) KD Baung with the locally developed Advanced Malaysian-Owned Combat System – Fire Control System (AMOCS). The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) formally received the ship following completion of its Routine Refit and Rehull Programme (RPP) at Kinabalu North Shipyard & Maritime Sdn Bhd in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, on 6 November 2025.

The project marks a milestone for the Eastern Fleet Command, as KD Baung becomes the first vessel in its formation to complete a comprehensive rehull intervention — a crucial measure to extend service life while improving operational readiness in contested maritime zones across the South China Sea.

Enhancing Combat Systems with Local Innovation

KD Baung’s upgrade and acceptance — first reported through the Royal Malaysian Navy’s Eastern Fleet Command release — also highlights the maturing capabilities of Malaysia’s local defence technology ecosystem. The AMOCS integration introduces significant improvements in fire control, situational awareness, and weapon engagement for the ship’s 57mm naval gun.

AMOCS is developed by System Consultancy Services (SCS), a Malaysian defence electronics company. The system has already been fitted on several other RMN FAC(G) units armed with 57mm guns, demonstrating growing trust in Malaysia’s domestic command and weapons-management technologies. According to SCS, the scalable architecture of AMOCS supports integration into larger future combatants and aligns with RMN’s ongoing ‘15 to 5 Transformation Programme’ focusing on fleet modernisation and standardisation.

Regional Defence Posture and Industry Upswing

KD Baung’s RPP commenced on 1 October 2023 and was completed on 31 October 2025. While official financial details were not disclosed, the project underlines increasing collaboration between RMN and local shipyards such as Kinabalu North Shipyard & Maritime, positioning Sabah as a key maritime support hub for the Eastern Fleet. Malaysia’s broader naval upgrade efforts come as Southeast Asian fleets reinforce deterrence in overlapping Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs), piracy-prone waters, and areas of intensifying grey-zone activity.

The initiative also provides local defence companies with real-world opportunities to sustain naval combat systems — reducing through-life dependency on foreign suppliers and retaining expenditure within Malaysia’s defence economy, valued at nearly RM7 billion (approximately USD 1.47 billion) annually.

Strengthening RMN Fleet Availability

RMN leadership emphasised that timely completion of RPP projects like KD Baung enables ships to return quickly to service, supporting persistent presence missions from the Straits of Malacca to the Sulu Sea — especially as Malaysia faces greater demands on maritime surveillance and enforcement roles, including illegal fishing, smuggling, and strategic reconnaissance.

KD Baung’s successful delivery offers a proven reference model for upcoming refit cycles across the RMN’s legacy FAC(G) fleet, many of which are slated for hull-life extension and indigenous combat system integration over the coming years.