THE presence of two United States Navy vessels at the North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT) in Penang was a routine port call for logistical purposes before continuing their voyage, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
He said the USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) and USS Tulsa (LCS 16) ships docked from March 14 to 16 before continuing their voyage to their next destination.
On Sunday, the two littoral combat ships were spotted docked at Penang’s North Butterworth Container Terminal, some 5,600km from the Persian Gulf, with photos of the ships circulating widely on social media.
A littoral combat ship is a relatively small surface vessel designed for operations in near-shore environments.
"Such visits by foreign naval ships to Malaysian ports are not new and have long been part of international maritime practices and defence relations.
"These port calls serve as a form of defence diplomacy aimed at fostering confidence-building while safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said in a statement today.
Khaled explained that the call of foreign naval ships at Malaysian ports was not unusual, but had long been a practice in international defence and shipping relations.
According to him, it was also part of defence diplomacy efforts aimed at increasing confidence between countries as well as helping to preserve sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Configured for minesweeping duties, the ships were last known to be forward-deployed in the Middle East, having arrived in Bahrain within the past year to replace decommissioned Avenger-class mine hunters.
He said Malaysia has clear policies and procedures regarding the presence of foreign naval vessels, whether at commercial ports or naval bases.
“Every application must go through official channels and is subject to the approval of the Malaysian government,” he said.
He added that such port of call occurs periodically, involving various partner countries that pass through strategic routes such as the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea.
"Last year, Malaysia recorded 75 port calls by foreign naval vessels from 14 countries, including Australia, Bangladesh, Britain, Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Canada, South Korea, France, Singapore and the United States," he said. – March 18, 2026
