Malaysia’s Nam Cheong Dockyard held a steel-cutting ceremony on 12 June 2026 two world-first remotely operated landing craft for Middle East owner ADNOC L&S
The remotely operated craft, the concept for which was jointly developed by ADNOC Logistics & Services (ADNOC L&S) and SeaOwl Group, will be fully crewless and will be controlled by a secure, low-latency satellite link from a shore-based command centre thousands of miles away.
The deal for the remotely operated landing craft (ROLCs) was announced early in 2026, when the Malaysian OSV builder and charterer secured a contract to build two dive support vessels and the two ROLCs from ADNOC L&S. The contract was its first shipbuilding contract win in over a decade.
The groundbreaking, 60-m, ROLCs will be built at the group’s Miri Yard in Sarawak, Malaysia and delivered between H2 2027 and early 2028.
The unmanned vessels will be remotely controlled from ADNOC’s shore-based command centre in Mussafah in the United Arab Emirates.
Speaking as the steel-cutting ceremony took place,Nam Cheong chief executive Leong Seng Keat said, “Nam Cheong is reaping a harvest of deep technical trust. By bridging legacy Malaysian craftsmanship with pioneering satellite-linked robotics, we are proving that the future of international maritime technology is being shaped right here in Miri.”
As Nam Cheong’s chief executiverecently told OSJ, he sees the order for the ROLCs as a springboard to more shipbuilding projects. “We want to produce more sophisticated and unique vessels [and] deliver products that are future- proof,” he said. “This deal is something of a statement for us.”
