STM launches second LMS Batch-2 vessel for Malaysian Navy

June 8, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

Turkish shipbuilder STM has launched the second of three corvettes being built for the Royal Malaysian Navy under the LMS Batch-2 (Littoral Mission Ship Batch-2) program.

As informed, the launching ceremony took place on June 7, 2026, at the Istanbul Shipyard. The first vessel in this project was launched on May 24, 2026.

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At the ceremony, STM General Manager Özgür Güleryüz said that the project reflected strategic cooperation between Türkiye and Malaysia and highlighted its unusually rapid construction schedule.

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He noted that the program marked the first Government-to-Government (G2G) defense procurement agreement between the two countries and Türkiye’s first corvette export to the Asia-Pacific region. He added that the first vessel, Tunku Laksamana Abdul Jalil, had been launched just two weeks earlier, and that the launch of Raja Laut, the second ship in the program, demonstrated STM’s engineering capability and fast execution.

He further stated that the company aimed to maintain the same pace, with plans to launch the third vessel in August and deliver all three ships to the Royal Malaysian Navy by 2027.

The vessels built under the scope of the project are named after prominent figures in Malaysian history. The first vessel was 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. 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 is associated with service and dedication to Malaysia.

Now, the second vessel Raja Laut is named after a historical figure who played a significant role in the administration of Selangor and the structuring of regional maritime trade during the 19th century.

STM received a deal to build three corvettes for the Royal Malaysian Navy back in 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 to build 3 corvettes for Malaysian Navy

Vessels

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

LMSs can be tasked with a wide range of duties, including ASUW, AAW, asymmetric warfare (ASYW) and EW, drawing upon the capabilities of the advanced sensors and weapons suite and command and control system.