STM, Türkiye’s leading naval engineering company, has launched the third and final vessel of the three-corvette project being built for the Royal Malaysian Navy. With the launch of TUNKU OSMAN JEWA (143), all three corvettes under Türkiye’s first corvette export to the Asia-Pacific region have now been launched within just four months. The project has entered the outfitting, systems integration, and harbour and sea acceptance testing phase, with all three vessels scheduled for delivery to the Royal Malaysian Navy in 2027.
STM Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret A.Ş., one of Türkiye’s leading defence companies, has reached another major milestone in its naval export programme. As the project’s main contractor, STM launched TUNKU OSMAN JEWA (143), the third and final corvette of the Littoral Mission Ship Batch-2 (LMS Batch-2) programme for the Royal Malaysian Navy, during a ceremony held at Istanbul Shipyard on 9 August 2026.
The ceremony was attended by Al Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin Ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah, Sultan of Kedah; Sultanah Maliha binti Almarhum Tengku Ariff, Sultanah of Kedah; Chief of the Malaysian Armed Forces General Datuk Haji Malek Razak bin Sulaiman; Prof. Dr. İhsan Kaya and Mustafa Murat Şeker, Deputy Secretaries of Defence Industries of the Republic of Türkiye; Deputy Chief of the Royal Malaysian Navy Vice Admiral Datuk Badarudin bin Taha; STM General Manager Özgür Güleryüz, as well as military delegations from both countries and representatives from the defence industry.
STM Launches Third Vessel of Malaysia’s LMS Batch 2 Project (7)
Şeker: “Technologies from Nearly 50 Turkish Companies Onboard Malaysia’s Corvettes”
Mustafa Murat Şeker, highlighted Türkiye’s naval shipbuilding ecosystem in his remarks, stating:
“Under the vision of our President, H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Türkiye has built a strong and capable defence industry ecosystem through years of determination, investment and innovation. Today, Türkiye is among the few countries in the world capable of independently designing and building its own warships and carrying out their system integration. Under the project, led by STM as the main contractor, the vessels are being equipped with advanced technology systems developed by nearly 50 Turkish defence companies, including ASELSAN, HAVELSAN and ROKETSAN. Inshallah, the three corvettes, which we will deliver next year, will serve the Royal Malaysian Navy successfully for many years to come, while also standing as enduring symbols of the strong friendship and strategic partnership between Türkiye and Malaysia.”
Chief of Defence Force of Malaysia: “These Corvettes Will Strengthen Our Ability to Protect Our Waters”
General Datuk Haji Malek Razak bin Sulaiman, Chief of Defence Force of Malaysia, underscored Malaysia’s identity as a maritime nation and the strategic importance of the sea to the country’s security, stating:
“These corvettes will support the phased replacement of our ageing ships and strengthen the Royal Malaysian Navy’s ability to protect our waters in an increasingly complex operating environment. The pace of this programme reflects the strength of the partnership between Malaysia and Türkiye and points to wider opportunities for defence cooperation. I thank STM, Istanbul Shipyard, the RMN Project Team, and everyone involved in the project. A launch is a milestone, not the finish line. We must carry this momentum through and deliver all vessels by the end of 2027.”
STM General Manager Ozgur Guleryuz
Güleryüz: “Three Corvettes Launched Within Four Months”
Speaking at the ceremony, STM General Manager Özgür Güleryüz highlighted the strategic defence cooperation between Türkiye and Malaysia and said:
“Today, we are proud to launch TUNKU OSMAN JEWA, the third and final vessel of the LMS Batch-2 Project for the Royal Malaysian Navy. This project marks both the first Government-to-Government (G2G) defence procurement agreement between Türkiye and Malaysia and Türkiye’s first corvette export to the Asia-Pacific region. With this launch, we have successfully launched all three corvettes within just four months, marking another major milestone for the programme. With the completion of the launching phase, the project now moves into outfitting, systems integration, harbour acceptance tests and sea acceptance trials. With the same determination and commitment, we aim to deliver all three vessels to the Royal Malaysian Navy in 2027.”
The Origin of the Vessels’ Names
The vessels built under the project are named after distinguished figures who have made significant contributions to Malaysia’s history and defence. The first vessel, TUNKU LAKSAMANA ABDUL JALIL, is named after the first prince to hold the title of “Prince Admiral.” The second vessel, RAJA LAUT, commemorates a prominent historical figure who played a key role in the administration of Selangor and the development of regional maritime trade. The third vessel, TUNKU OSMAN JEWA, is named in honour of General (Ret.) Tan Sri Tunku Osman Tunku Mohammad Jewa, the third Chief of the Malaysian Armed Forces.
STM Launches Third Vessel of Malaysia’s LMS Batch 2 Project (5)
STM LMS Batch-2 Ship Specifications
The Signing Ceremony for the Government-to-Government (G2G) Memorandum of Understanding on the Procurement of Defence Products between Türkiye and Malaysia, together with the Handover Ceremony for the Letter of Acceptance (LoA) for the Royal Malaysian Navy’s Littoral Mission Ship Batch-2 (LMS Batch-2) Project, was held in Ankara on 10 June 2024. The steel cutting ceremony took place in Istanbul on 4 December 2024, followed by the keel laying ceremony on 8 April 2025. The first, second and third vessels of the project were launched on 24 May, 7 June and 9 August 2026, respectively.
As the main contractor, STM is responsible for every phase of the project, from design and construction to testing, integrated logistics support and final delivery. STM undertakes 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, designed by STM to meet the operational requirements of the Royal Malaysian Navy, are currently undergoing outfitting, systems integration and acceptance testing in Türkiye under the Littoral Mission Ship Batch-2 (LMS Batch-2) 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 vessels are currently undergoing outfitting and systems integration in Türkiye with the extensive participation of Turkish defence industry companies. As the main contractor, STM is integrating advanced systems supplied by leading Turkish defence companies. These include the Combat Management System and Gun Fire Control System from HAVELSAN; the 3D Search Radar, Fire Control Radar, IFF System, 30 mm Remote-Controlled Gun, ESM, Chaff Decoy System and other electronic sensors from ASELSAN; and the ATMACA Surface-to-Surface Missile System from ROKETSAN.
