STM has reached a major milestone in the project to build three corvettes for Malaysia with the launch of the first RMN LMS Batch-2 vessel.
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Press Release, Ankara, 24 May 2026: STM, Türkiye’s leading naval engineering company, has reached a major milestone in the project to build three corvettes for the Royal Malaysian Navy. The first ship of the project, ‘Tunku Laksamana Abdul Jalil‘, was launched in Istanbul at a ceremony graced by Her Majesty the Queen of Malaysia.
STM (Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret A.Ş.), a pioneer in the Turkish defence industry, continues to successfully represent Türkiye in the international arena. Under STM’s main contractor role, the first of three corvettes being built for the Royal Malaysian Navy under the LMS Batch-2 (Littoral Mission Ship Batch-2) programme was launched on May 24, 2026, at the Istanbul Shipyard.
The ceremony was attended by Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia, esteemed members of the Johor Royal Family, Malaysian Minister of National Defence Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Deputy Minister of National Defence of the Republic of Türkiye Musa Heybetli, Deputy Secretary of Turkish Defence Industries and Chairman of the Board of STM Prof. Dr. İhsan Kaya, high-ranking officials from the Royal Malaysian Navy, representatives of defence industry companies, and many distinguished guests.
All Three Corvettes to be Launched This Year: Speaking at the ceremony, Özgür Güleryüz, General Manager of STM, highlighted STM’s global experience in naval engineering, noting that the company has successfully completed or is currently managing 44 naval platform projects across 11 different shipyards in Türkiye and abroad. Güleryüz stated: “We have reached a critical stage in our LMS Batch-2 project, which marks the first Government-to-Government (G2G) agreement between Türkiye and Malaysia for the procurement of defence products. Following the contract signing in 2024, we completed the steel cutting and keel laying phases in record time, and today, we are honoured to launch our first ship, Tunku Laksamana Abdul Jalil. In this project, which represents Türkiye’s first corvette export to the Asia-Pacific region, we are meticulously managing every phase—from design to delivery. With our high production pace, we aim to launch the second ship in June and the third ship in August of this year. By delivering all three corvettes, equipped with advanced weapon and sensor systems, to the Royal Malaysian Navy within 2027, we will significantly strengthen the maritime sovereignty of friendly and brotherly Malaysia.”
Tunku Laksamana Abdul Jalil: The vessel is named after the late Tunku Laksamana Abdul Jalil, the fourth son of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim and Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, who passed away in 2015. As the first member of the Johor Royal Family in modern history to hold the title of ‘Tunku Laksamana‘ (Prince Admiral), his name represents a legacy of strength and service to the people of Malaysia.
STM LMS Batch-II Ship Specifications: The Signing Ceremony for the G2G Memorandum of Understanding on the Procurement of Defense Products between Türkiye and Malaysia, along with the Handover Ceremony for the Letter of Acceptance (LoA) for the LMS Batch-2 Project for the Royal Malaysian Navy, was held in Ankara on June 10, 2024. Following the steel cutting ceremony held in Istanbul on December 4, 2024, the project moved forward rapidly with the keel laying ceremony for the corvettes, which took place on April 8, 2025.
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 constructed 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. Littoral Mission Ship s 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 equipment such 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.
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