ISTANBUL — This week, Turkish defense company STM held a keel-laying ceremony in Istanbul for the construction of three corvettes for the Royal Malaysian Navy. These vessels are part of the Littoral Mission Ship (LMS) Batch-2 program.
The three corvettes mark Turkey’s first corvette export to the Asia-Pacific region. They will enhance Malaysia’s maritime defense capabilities, addressing anti-surface, anti-air, asymmetric, and electronic warfare missions.
The corvettes, based on the ADA-class design, are scheduled for delivery by the end of 2027. As the main contractor, STM is tasked with the design, construction, integration, and delivery of the ships, along with providing logistics support. The vessels will be customized to meet the specific requirements of the Royal Malaysian Navy and will be constructed in Turkey with collaboration from local defense firms.
The LMS Batch-2 ships will feature a stealthy hull designed to ensure a low radar cross-section and enhanced maneuverability. Each vessel will have a displacement of approximately 2,500 tons, a length of 99.5 meters, and can achieve speeds exceeding 26 knots. Powered by a Combined Diesel and Diesel (CODAD) propulsion system utilizing four diesel engines, the corvettes will offer a range of over 4,000 nautical miles at cruising speed and sustain operations for up to 14 days. They will be manned by a crew of 111 and will support helicopter operations thanks to a hangar and refueling capabilities.
Armament for the corvettes will include an Italian Leonardo 76mm main gun, a secondary Aselsan Smash 30mm gun, Roketsan Atmaca surface-to-surface missiles, and South Korean Haegung surface-to-air missiles. Additional features will encompass decoy launchers and electronic warfare systems. Combat capabilities will be augmented with a 3D surveillance radar, identification friend or foe (IFF) systems, electro-optical fire control radar, target designation sights, and a combat management system supplied by Havelsan.
This LMS Batch-2 project follows the signing of a government-to-government defense agreement between Turkey and Malaysia in June 2024, with steel cutting for the vessels having occurred last December.
Cem Devrim Yaylali, a correspondent for Defense News based in Turkey, has a strong interest in photographing military ships and writing about naval defense topics. Originally from Paris, France, he currently resides in Istanbul with his spouse and one child.
