The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) has selected STM, Türkiye’s leading company in the naval field, for the procurement of three warships under the LMS Batch-2 programme.
The ceremony for the “Littoral Mission Ship Batch-2” project was hosted at the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye on 10th June in Ankara. The ceremony was attended by Mohamed Khaled Nordin, the Minister of Defence of Malaysia; Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün, President of the Defence Industry Agency (SSB); Prof. Dr. İhsan Kaya, STM Chairman of the Board; Özgür Güleryüz, STM General Manager; representatives of the Malaysian Ministry of Defense as well as other Turkish defence industry company executives and invited guest.
Speaking at the ceremony, Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün, President of the Defence Industry Agency (SSB), said: “As you might be aware, the LMS Batch 2 Project has catalyzed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on G2G Procurement for Defence Products between Türkiye and Malaysia. I firmly believe that the LMS Batch 2 Project is just the beginning of a long-term cooperation on naval platforms between our two nations.”
“The successful execution of this project will undoubtedly position Turkish defence industry companies as indispensable partners in the Royal Malaysian Navy’s ‘15 to 5 Transformation Program’ thereby strengthening our defence capabilities and fortifying our mutual interests. STM, as the main contractor, will be responsible for all phases of the Littoral Mission Ship Project for the Royal Malaysian Navy, from design and construction to delivery. I would like to extend my gratitude to the STM Management and their team for their dedication to this project,” he added.
Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Minister of Defence of Malaysia, said: “I believe that the signing of this MoU will bring benefit to both countries, especially to Malaysia, because the Republic of Turkiye is a sophisticated military powerhouse today, with excellent defence technology, and is one of the most advanced military manufacturing nations in West Asia.
It is a very historical moment because on today’s occasion, we will be witnessing the handing over ceremony of the Letter of Acceptance of our Littoral Mission Ship (LMS), Batch 2, with STM. Congratulations to STM. We will be purchasing three LMS on this occasion.
So when we sign this MoU today, we will give you the LOA for the purchase of the LMS. So that is why it is also a very historic moment, because the letter of acceptance means that today we will start to build, by Turkiye, by STM, our three LMS. I wish all the best to all parties, to SSB, to STM.”
Özgür Güleryüz, STM General Manager, declared: “Delivering the opening speech of the programme, Özgür Güleryüz, General Manager of STM, stated that STM had been meeting the needs of security forces, especially the Turkish Armed Forces, with national and innovative systems for more than 33 years.”
“As we continue on the path we set out on for the defence of our country, we are today transferring our engineering experience and technologies to friendly and brotherly countries. Building on our success in the modernisation of surface platforms and submarines for the Pakistan Navy, we are currently advancing the construction of two corvettes for Ukraine under STM’s leadership as the main contractor.
“The vessels will be based on the ADA-Class design, which has already demonstrated its reliability and effectiveness in international waters. The construction of these ships will commence this year, and we aim to deliver all three ships to the Royal Malaysian Navy within 3.5 years. Under the government-to-government (G2G) agreement, STM will be the main contractor responsible for all phases of the project, from design to performance, and from construction to delivery,” he noted.
The construction and outfitting of the ships will take place in Türkiye, involving substantial collaborations with various companies from the Turkish defence sector. The ships, under the main contractorship of STM, will be integrated with the leading-edge systems produced by some 50 companies, including such prominent names as ASELSAN, HAVELSAN and ROKETSAN. The Malaysian Corvettes will be outfitted with advanced weapon systems, sensors, and command and control systems, allowing the RMN to perform a wide range of missions effectively. (Photo: Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) President Dr. Haluk Görgün (R) and Malaysian Minister of Defence, Mohamed Khaled Nordin © AA)
