Malaysia will replace the ageing Tun Sharifah Rodziah sea base with a Multi-Purpose Command Platform vessel under a government-to-government arrangement with Türkiye. The new mobile forward base is set for Eastern Sabah, where it will extend surveillance and rapid response across ESSZONE waters in the Celebes Sea.
The platform is expected to carry long-range radar and unmanned systems, including UAVs and USVs, giving the Royal Malaysian Navy and security forces a more flexible offshore node than the current static rig-based base. The move also points to industrial spillover through technology transfer and local participation. The procurement now moves from policy signal to programme execution.