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STM, one of Türkiye's leading naval engineering companies, launched the first corvette of the Royal Malaysian Navy's (RMN) Littoral Mission Ship Batch-2 program at a ceremony at Istanbul Shipyard on May 24, in the presence of Malaysian Queen Raja Zarith Sofiah and senior defense officials from both countries.
The vessel, named Tunku Laksamana Abdul Jalil, honors the late fourth son of Sultan Ibrahim and Queen Raja Zarith Sofiah, who passed away in 2015.
He was the first member of the Johor Royal Family in modern history to hold the title of Tunku Laksamana, Prince Admiral, and his name represents what STM described as "a legacy of strength and service to the people of Malaysia."
The ceremony was attended by Malaysian Defense Minister Dato' Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Türkiye's Deputy Minister of National Defense Musa Heybetli, Deputy Secretary of Defense Industries and STM Board Chairman Professor Dr. Ihsan Kaya, senior Royal Malaysian Navy officials, and defense industry representatives.
STM General Manager Ozgur Guleryuz said the project had moved from contract signing in 2024 through steel cutting and keel laying in record time.
"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 defense products," he stated.
"Following the contract signing in 2024, we completed the steel cutting and keel laying phases in record time, and today, we are honored 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," he added.
"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 by 2027, we will significantly strengthen the maritime sovereignty of friendly and brotherly Malaysia," Guleryuz said.
He noted that STM had completed or was managing 44 naval platform projects across 11 different shipyards in Türkiye and abroad.
The LMS Batch-2 corvette is approximately 99.56 meters in length, with a beam of 14.42 meters, a draft of 3.94 meters, and a displacement of approximately 2,500 tons.
Maximum speed is above 26 knots under a CODAD propulsion system; range exceeds 4,000 nautical miles at 14 knots. The vessel carries a crew of 111 and has a 14-day endurance.
Weapons systems include a 76mm main gun, eight surface-to-surface missiles, a 30mm secondary gun, four surface-to-air missiles, and two decoy launcher systems. Roketsan supplies the vessel's surface-to-surface missiles in the form of the Atmaca anti-ship missile system.
Aselsan supplies sensor and electronics systems, including a 3D surveillance radar, Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system, fire control radar with electro-optical suite, Communication Electronic Support Measures (C-ESM) system, and tactical data link.
The combat management system and gunfire control system are supplied by Havelsan.
The ship also features a stealth design with a low radar cross-section, a helicopter deck, and a hangar for a medium-sized helicopter with refueling facilities.
STM serves as the main contractor across all project phases, including design, project management, construction management, material and system procurement, integration, testing, and integrated logistic support.
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