Turkey’s STM starts construction of corvettes for Malaysia

ISTANBUL — Turkish defense company STM held a keel-laying ceremony in Istanbul this week for three corvettes being built for the Royal Malaysian Navy under the Littoral Mission Ship (LMS) Batch-2 program.

The ships represent Turkey’s first corvette export to the Asia-Pacific region and will support Malaysia’s ability to carry out a variety of maritime defense missions including anti-surface, anti-air, asymmetric and electronic warfare.

Based on the ADA-class design, the three corvettes are scheduled for delivery by the end of 2027.

STM, the main contractor, is responsible for the design, construction, integration, and delivery of the vessels, as well as logistics support. The ships are being tailored to meet Royal Malaysian Navy requirements and will be constructed in Turkey with the involvement of local defense firms.

The LMS Batch-2 ships will feature a stealthy hull with a low radar cross-section and high maneuverability. With a displacement of approximately 2,500 tons, each vessel will measure 99.5 meters in length and reach speeds over 26 knots. Powered by a CODAD propulsion system with four diesel engines, the ships will have a range exceeding 4,000 nautical miles at cruising speed and an endurance of 14 days. They will accommodate a crew of 111 and support helicopter operations with a hangar and refueling capabilities.

The corvettes will be equipped with an Italian Leonardo 76mm main gun, one Aselsan Smash 30mm secondary gun, Roketsan Atmaca surface-to-surface and South Korean Haegung surface-to-air missiles, decoy launchers, and electronic warfare systems. Their combat systems include a 3D surveillance radar, IFF, electro-optical fire control radar, target designation sights, and a combat management system provided by Havelsan.

The LMS Batch-2 project follows the June 2024 signing of a government-to-government defense agreement between Turkey and Malaysia, with steel cutting for the ships taking place last December.

Cem Devrim Yaylali is a Turkey correspondent for Defense News. He is a keen photographer of military ships and has a passion for writing about naval and defense issues. He was born in Paris, France, and resides in Istanbul, Turkey. He is married with one son.

伊斯坦布尔——本周，土耳其国防公司STM在伊斯坦布尔举行了为马来西亚皇家海军建造的三艘轻型护卫舰的龙骨铺设仪式，这三艘护卫舰是“近海任务舰”（LMS）第二批次计划的一部分。

这些舰艇代表土耳其首次向亚太地区出口轻型护卫舰，并将支持马来西亚执行各种海上防御任务的能力，包括反水面作战、防空作战、非对称作战和电子战。

根据 ADA 级设计，这三艘轻型护卫舰计划于 2027 年底交付。

STM作为主承包商，负责舰艇的设计、建造、集成和交付，以及后勤保障。这些舰艇将根据马来西亚皇家海军的要求进行定制，并在土耳其建造，当地国防企业也将参与其中。

LMS Batch-2型舰艇将采用隐身船体，雷达反射截面小，机动性强。每艘舰艇排水量约2500吨，长99.5米，航速超过26节。该舰采用CODAD推进系统，配备四台柴油发动机，巡航航程超过4000海里，续航力达14天。舰上可容纳111名船员，并配备机库和加油设施，支持直升机作业。

这些轻型护卫舰将配备一门意大利莱昂纳多公司生产的76毫米主炮、一门阿塞尔桑公司生产的30毫米副炮、罗克特桑公司生产的“阿特马卡”地对地导弹和韩国“海皇”地对空导弹、诱饵发射器和电子战系统。它们的作战系统包括三维监视雷达、敌我识别系统、光电火控雷达、目标指示瞄准具以及由哈维尔桑公司提供的作战管理系统。

LMS Batch-2 项目是在土耳其和马来西亚于 2024 年 6 月签署政府间防务协议之后启动的，舰艇的钢材切割工作已于去年 12 月进行。

杰姆·德夫里姆·亚伊拉利是《防务新闻》驻土耳其记者。他热衷于拍摄军舰，并对海军和国防议题充满热情。他出生于法国巴黎，现居土耳其伊斯坦布尔。他已婚，育有一子。