Türkiye launches Malaysia's first LMS Batch 2 vessel

Malaysia's first vessel in its LMS Batch 2 programme, Tunku Laksamana Abdul Jalil , seen here at its launch ceremony. (Malaysia Ministry of Defence)

The Royal Malaysian Navy's (RMN's) first Littoral Mission Ship (LMS) Batch 2 vessel was launched at Istanbul Shipyard on 24 May.

The ship, named Tunku Laksamana Abdul Jalil, is the first of three LMS Batch 2 vessels being built by Turkish naval prime contractor STM under a government-to-government arrangement between Malaysia and Türkiye.

The programme was formalised in June 2024 when Malaysia handed over a letter of acceptance for the three-ship programme. STM has described it as Türkiye's first corvette export to the Asia-Pacific.

Steel cutting for the class was held in Istanbul in December 2024, while the keel-laying ceremony for the lead ship took place in April 2025.

The LMS Batch 2 ships are derived from the Turkish Navy's Ada-class corvette design. According to STM, the class has an overall length of 99.56 m, a beam of 14.42 m, a draught of 3.94 m, and a displacement of about 2,500 tonnes.

The ships are powered by four diesel engines in a combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) arrangement, enabling a top speed of more than 26 kt and a range of more than 4,000 n miles at 14 kt.

STM also lists an endurance of 14 days, accommodation for 111 personnel, and a flight deck and hangar for a medium helicopter. Armament consists of a 76 mm main gun, a 30 mm secondary gun, two quadruple launchers for surface-to-surface missiles, and a surface-to-air missile fit.

Malaysia confirmed the point-defence missile choice in April 2026 when Putrajaya signed a USD94 million contract with South Korea's LIG Defense & Aerospace for the K-SAAM missile.