(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – As reported earlier, Malaysia’s Ministry of Defence is currently conducting due diligence on several Turkish shipbuilding companies before deciding which company will supply the Littoral Mission Ship (LMS) Batch 2 to the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN).
The acquisition of the first three LMS Batch 2 ships for TLDM will be carried out through a Government-to-Government (G-to-G) arrangement between the Malaysian government and Turkey to ensure a smooth procurement process, avoiding any delays as experienced in the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) construction project.
The initial three LMS Batch 2 ships are expected to be built next year, with an additional five planned for the 13th Malaysia Plan (2026-2030), bringing the total number of LMS Batch 2 ships owned by TLDM to eight.
TLDM already possesses four LMS Batch 1 ships acquired from China.
In contrast to the Batch 1 ships, which are equipped only with small caliber guns, the Batch 2 ships will be larger, heavier, and equipped with the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) anti-ship guided missiles.
Consequently, the overall value of the LMS Batch 2 ships is estimated to be over RM6 billion, compared to RM1 billion for the four Batch 1 ships.
The cost for the first three ships of LMS Batch 2 is expected to be RM2.4 billion.
Industry sources have informed Defence Security Asia that the Turkish shipbuilding companies under evaluation by the Ministry of Defense include STM, Dearsan Shipyard, ASFAT, and TAIS.
These companies have submitted various designs for the LMS Batch 2 to meet TLDM’s requirements.
The Malaysian public will only be informed about the chosen design for LMS Batch 2 or the Turkish shipbuilding company selected to build the ships in the early part of next year.
During an address in the Dewan Rakyat last year, the Defence Minister stated that an allocation of RM235 million under the 2024 Budget is earmarked to initiate the construction process for the three LMS Batch 2 ships with the chosen Turkish shipbuilding company.
According to national defense industry sources, STM remains the top choice to win the contract with its corvette-class Ada design.
The Ada-class corvette is specifically developed for the Turkish Navy under the national shipbuilding program, MILGEM.
It features a Combined Diesel and Gas (CODAG) system with one gas turbine and two diesel engines, allowing the ship to achieve a maximum speed of 30 knots and operate within a 3,500 nautical mile radius at a speed of 15 knots.
The ship can accommodate a crew of 93 and has a total length of 99.56 meters, weighing 2,400 tons.
The Ada-class corvette is equipped with the “GENESIS” warfare management system developed by another Turkish defense company, HAVELSAN, as well as an Electronic Chart Precise Integrated Navigation System (ECPINS), Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS), SMART-S Mk2 search radar, X-band radar, and fire control radar.
In terms of armament, it features the Oto Melara 76mm Super Rapid gun, two Remote Control Weapon Systems (RCWS) with 12.7mm guns, and eight Harpoon or Atmaca anti-ship guided missile launchers (to be replaced with NSM if STM is selected).
Additionally, the Ada-class corvette is equipped with anti-aircraft guided missiles (RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile or RAM) and two 324mm Mk. 46 torpedo launchers.
Dearsan Shipyard, based in Istanbul, offers the LMS 92 design based on the C92 corvette design, with a length of 91 meters and a total weight of 1,600 tons. The C92 corvette can reach speeds of up to 26 knots with an operational radius of 3,000 nautical miles.
It can accommodate 100 crew members, including officers and other personnel. The primary mission of the Dearsan Shipyard’s C92 corvette is anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, anti-air warfare, and others, with secondary missions including intelligence gathering, patrol/escort, asymmetrical warfare, and search and rescue.
The armament includes various weapons such as a main 76mm gun, 30mm and 25mm guns, anti-aircraft guided missiles, anti-ship guided missiles, torpedoes, and more.
TAIS Shipyard is believed to propose the Corvette 100 Bora design, with a total length of 100 meters, a weight of 2,400 tons, a maximum speed of 29 knots, and the capacity to accommodate 115 crew members.
The Corvette 100 Bora is designed for ISR operations, anti-surface warfare, anti-air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, maritime safety operations, border control, territorial defense, and maritime operations in Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) waters.
Another prominent Turkish shipbuilding company, ASFAT, owned by the Turkish Ministry of Defense, is expected to offer the Ada-class corvette design similar to those built for the Turkish Navy and the Pakistani Navy. — DSA