STM, the leading company in the Turkish defence sector, will build three corvettes for the Royal Malaysian Navy under the “Littoral Mission Ship Batch-2 (LMSB2)” project

STM Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret A.Ş., Türkiye’s leading company in the naval field, has added a further achievement to its past successes in the international arena. The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) has selected STM for the procurement of three warships under the LMS Batch-2 programme.

The ceremony for the “Littoral Mission Ship Batch-2” project was hosted at the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye today (10th June) in Ankara. The ceremony was attended by Mohamed Khaled Nordin, the Minister of Defence of Malaysia; Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün, the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye and the Secretariat of Defence Industries, Prof. Dr.  İhsan Kaya, STM Chairman of the Board; and Özgür Güleryüz, STM General Manager, representatives of the Malaysian Ministry of Defense as well as other Turkish defence industry company executives and other invited guests. 

Görgün: The LMS Batch 2 Project is Just the Beginning

Speaking at the ceremony,  Prof.  Dr. Haluk Görgün, President of the Defence Industry Agency, said:

As you might be aware, the LMS Batch 2 Project has catalyzed the signing of the “Memorandum of Understanding on G2G Procurement for Defence Products” between Türkiye and Malaysia.

I firmly believe that the LMS Batch 2 Project is just the beginning of a long-term cooperation on naval platforms between our two nations. The successful execution of this project will undoubtedly position Turkish defence industry companies as indispensable partners in the Royal Malaysian Navy’s ‘15 to 5 Transformation Program’ thereby strengthening our defence capabilities and fortifying our mutual interests.

STM, as the main contractor, will be responsible for all phases of the Littoral Mission Ship Project for the Royal Malaysian Navy, from design and construction to delivery. I would like to extend my gratitude to the STM Management and their team for their dedication to this project.”

Mohamed Khaled Nordin: Congratulations to STM

The Malaysian Minister of Defence, Mohamed Khaled Nordin made the following statements in his speech:

“I believe that the signing of this MoU will bring benefit to both countries, especially to Malaysia, because the Republic of Turkiye is a sophisticated military powerhouse today, with excellent defence technology, and is one of the most advanced military manufacturing nations in West Asia.

It is a very historical moment because on today’s occasion, we will be witnessing the handing over ceremony of the Letter of Acceptance of our Littoral Mission Ship (LMS), Batch 2, with STM. Congratulations to STM. We will be purchasing three LMS on this occasion.

So when we sign that MoU today, we will give you the LOA for the purchase of the LMS. So that is why it is also a very historic moment, because the letter of acceptance means that today we will start to build, by Turkiye, by STM, our three LMS. I wish all the best to all parties, to SSB, to STM.”

Güleryüz: We share our experience and technology with friendly countries

Delivering the opening speech of the programme, Özgür Güleryüz, General Manager of STM, stated that STM had been meeting the needs of security forces, especially the Turkish Armed Forces, with national and innovative systems for more than 33 years, and added:

“As we continue on the path we set out on for the defence of our country, we are today transferring our engineering experience and technologies to friendly and brotherly countries. Building on our success in the modernisation of surface platforms and submarines for the Pakistan Navy, we are currently advancing the construction of two corvettes for Ukraine under STM’s leadership as the main contractor.

“Construction of the ships will start this year and will be completed in 3.5 years”

Güleryüz said that STM was proud to be signing the agreement, which will add strength to the Malaysian Navy, and continued: 

“We are committing to the construction of three ships for the Royal Malaysian Navy. The vessels will be based on the ADA-Class design, which has already demonstrated its reliability and effectiveness in international waters. The construction of these ships will commence this year, and we aim to deliver all three ships to the Royal Malaysian Navy within 3.5 years. Under the government-to-government (G2G) agreement, STM will be the main contractor responsible for all phases of the project, from design to performance, and from construction to delivery.

“Corvettes Will Have Modern Weapon Systems”

The construction and outfitting of the ships will take place in Türkiye, involving substantial collaborations with various companies from the Turkish defence sector. The ships, under the main contractorship of STM, will be integrated with the leading-edge systems produced by some 50 companies, including such prominent names as ASELSAN, HAVELSAN and ROKETSAN. The Malaysian Corvettes will be outfitted with advanced weapon systems, sensors, and command and control systems, allowing the RMN to perform a wide range of missions effectively.

STM LMS Batch-II Ship Specifications

STM, as main contractor, will be responsible for all phases of the project, starting from design to the performance, and from construction to delivery.

STM will undertake the ship design, project management (including construction management), material/system procurements, integration design and assembly, testing and Integrated Logistic Support (ILS) activities, as well as the preparation of the design and ILS documents related to the Project.

The three corvettes, the design of which has been tailored by STM to meet the requirements of the Royal Malaysian Navy, will be construct in Türkiye within the scope of the Littoral Mission Ship Batch-2 (LMSB2) Project.

STM Littoral Mission Ship (LMSB2) is a highly flexible and proven platform that complies with modern naval norms, standards and classification society rules. The capabilities of similar combat platforms produced by STM in terms of safety, performance, reliability and ease of maintenance have been tested, and have proven themselves during operations in the open and coastal seas, and under heavy sea conditions.

LMSs can be tasked with a wide range of duties including ASUW, AAW, Asymmetric Warfare (ASYW) and EW, drawing upon the capabilities of the most advanced Sensors & Weapons Suite and Command & Control System.

The construction and outfitting of the ships will be carried out in Türkiye with the intensive involvement of Turkish defence industry companies. STM, in its role as main contractor, will turn to the Turkish defence sector for such equipment as the Combat Management System; the Gun Fire Control System, to be supplied by HAVELSAN; and the 3D Search Radar, Fire Control Radar, IFF, 30mm Gun, ESM and Chaff Decoy System, as well as other electronic sensors, to be supplied by ASELSAN.  ROKETSAN will be supplying its ATMACA Surface-to-Surface G/M System.

Design, Purpose and Capabilities

• Unsurpassed Manoeuvring and Seakeeping Capabilities
• Stealth Design and Low Radar Cross Section (RCS)
• Redundancy Philosophy
• High AAW, ASUW and EW Capabilities by means of the Well-Integrated Redundant Weapon & Sensor Configuration
• High Durability, Distributed and redundant Sensors & Weapons against Fire and Damage
• HELO Deck & Hangar for a Medium-Size Helicopter and Refuelling Facilities

Main Dimensions

Overall Length (Loa)                   : 99.56  m

Max. Beam (Bmax)                      : 14.42  m

Draft (T)                                   : 3.94    m

Displacement                             : ~2,500 tons

Speed & Endurance

Max. Speed                               : +26 knots (CODAD)

Cruising Speed                           : 14 knots

Range                                       : +4000 nm at 14 knots

Personnel & Endurance

Personnel                                  : 111 (officers, crew and guests)

Endurance                                 : 14 days

Main Propulsion/ Power Generation

• 4 x Diesel Engines (CODAD Propulsion System)
• 2 x Reduction Gears
• 2 x Shafts
• 2 x CPP Propellers
• 4 x Diesel Generators
• 1 x Emergency Generator
• Fin Stabilizer

Weapons

• 1 x 76 mm Main Gun
• 2 x 4 SSMs
• 1 x 30 mm Secondary Gun
• 2 x 2 SAMs (16 missiles)
• 2 x Decoy Launcher Systems (DLS)

Sensors

• Combat Management System (CMS)
• 3D Surveillance Radar (with Helo Control Capability)
• IFF System (integrated with 3D radar)
• 1 x Fire Control Radar (with EO Suite)
• Gun Fire Control System (embedded in the CMS)
• 2 x Target Designation Sights (TDS)
• C-ESM System
• R-ESM System (2-18 GHz) with ELINT Capabilities
• Tactical Data Link System (LINK-Y)
• Electronic Plotting Table

Image courtesy STM, photo by P. Valpolini