Turkey will build three vessels for the Royal Malaysian Navy under the latter’s Littoral Mission Ship Batch 2 Project as part of a deal signed by the two nations. This marks the first time Malaysia has signed a government-to-government agreement to procure defense equipment.
The countries inked the deal at a ceremony Monday, during which Turkish defense industry chief Haluk Görgün and Malaysian Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said STM will build the littoral missions ships in Turkey.
STM’s general manager, Özgür Güleryüz, said that construction for Malaysia’s ships will begin in 2024, with the planned delivery to take place in three and a half years. The ships will be equipped with various defense systems from Turkish defense industry firms.
As part of the project, STM will construct and equip the ships in Turkey with significant participation from other local defense companies. The ships will be outfitted with various radar, electronic, and missile systems developed by Turkish defense firms.
The specifications of the ships include a length of 99.56 meters, a width of 14.42 meters, and a displacement of about 2,500 tons. The ships will have a maximum speed of about 26 knots and a cruising speed of 14 knots. Additionally, they will have a range of over 4,000 nautical miles at 14 knots and a personnel capacity of 111.
