Istanbul – Turkish defense company STM held a keel ceremony this week in Istanbul, which built three frigates for the Royal Malaysian Navy under the littoral Mission Ship (LMS) Batch 2 program.
The ships represent the first Türkiye export to the Asia-Pacific region and will support Malaysia’s ability to perform a variety of maritime defense missions, including anti-surface, anti-air, asymmetry and electronic warfare.
According to the ADA-grade design, the three Corvettes are scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2027.
The main contractor STM is responsible for the design, construction, integration and delivery of ships and logistics support. The ships are tailor-made to the Royal Malaysian Navy requirements and will be built in Türkiye with local defense companies involved.
The LMS batch-2 ship will have a stealth hull with lower radar cross-section and high maneuverability. With a displacement of about 2500 tons, each ship will reach a length of 99.5 meters and reach a speed of 26 knots. The vessels are powered by a cod propulsion system with four diesel engines, and the vessels will have a range of more than 4,000 nautical miles and a 14-day endurance. They will accommodate 111 crew members and support helicopter operations through hangars and refueling functions.
Corvettes will be equipped with an Italian Leonardo 76mm main gun, an Aselsan Smash 30mm secondary gun, a Roketsan Atmaca surface-to-ground and South Korea’s Haegung Haegung Surface-Air missile, bait launcher and electronic warfare system. Their combat system includes a 3D surveillance radar, IFF, current fire control radar, target name attractions, and a combat management system provided by Havelsan.
The LMS BATCH-2 project comes after the signing of a defense agreement between Türkiye and Malaysia in June 2024, with ship cutting ships conducted last December.
