Royal Malaysian Navy’s LMS Batch II Construction Advances with Keel-Laying Ceremony in Istanbul
“Based on the current construction schedule, the LMS Batch II vessels are expected to be completed and launched by mid-2026, with final delivery to the RMN projected by the end of 2027.”
(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — In a moment that marks a significant milestone in Malaysia’s naval modernisation, the keel-laying ceremony for the Royal Malaysian Navy’s (RMN) three Littoral Mission Ship (LMS) Batch II vessels was officiated today by Navy Chief Admiral Datuk Zulhelmy Ithnain, with the Ministry of Defence Secretary-General Datuk Lokman Hakim Ali witnessing the event at Türkiye’s prominent Istanbul Naval Shipyard.
The ceremony underscores the transition of the LMS Batch II project into full-scale ship construction, where key modules of the vessels are structurally aligned and joined on the slipway—an essential phase in any warship’s assembly.
This event follows the successful steel-cutting milestone held on 4 December 2024, representing the progression from raw material fabrication to ship assembly and alignment, and heralding an acceleration of production efforts for the RMN’s growing surface fleet.
The ceremony coincided with a visit by a Malaysian defence delegation to Türkiye, where a Project Monitoring Committee (PMC) convened on 7 April 2025, led by the Ministry of Defence Secretary-General alongside representatives from the Turkish defence industry, reaffirming joint oversight of the LMS Batch II programme’s technical and contractual benchmarks.
The PMC meeting was instrumental in reviewing project management, progress metrics, and implementation strategies, with the Turkish shipbuilder delivering highly encouraging updates that reflect the programme’s momentum and schedule integrity.
“Based on the current construction schedule, the LMS Batch II vessels are expected to be completed and launched by mid-2026, with final delivery to the RMN projected by the end of 2027.”
The keel-laying was also attended by high-level officials from the Malaysian Ministry of Defence, RMN representatives, members of the LMS Batch II project team, and Deputy General Manager of Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik (STM), Bülent Soydal, highlighting the collaborative nature of this bilateral naval venture.
LMS Batch II (TLDM)
The genesis of this strategic acquisition was a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) signed in June 2024 between Malaysia’s Ministry of Defence and Türkiye’s Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB), sealed during a high-level visit by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Khaled Nordin, who inked the deal alongside SSB President Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün.
Strategically tailored for maritime security in Malaysia’s contested waters, the LMS Batch II vessels are advanced multi-mission platforms capable of engaging in high-threat environments across a range of warfare domains.
Each ship is built for multi-domain operations, including anti-surface warfare (ASuW), anti-air warfare (AAW), asymmetric warfare (ASYW), and electronic warfare (EW), providing the RMN with a quantum leap in operational agility, responsiveness, and survivability in Southeast Asia’s dynamic littoral zones.
STM, as the project’s prime contractor, is integrating cutting-edge Turkish defence technologies, including a sophisticated combat management system (CMS) and 76mm gun fire control suite provided by the software and defence systems giant, HAVELSAN.
Additional combat systems and sensor payloads, supplied by ASELSAN—Türkiye’s leading electronics and systems integrator—will include a 3D surveillance radar, fire control radar, Identification Friend or Foe (IFF), 30mm automatic gun, Electronic Support Measures (ESM), chaff decoy system, and a suite of mission-critical electronic sensors.
At the core of the LMS Batch II’s offensive arsenal is the ROKETSAN-manufactured ATMACA anti-ship missile, a long-range precision strike weapon capable of neutralising sea targets up to 250km away, giving the RMN a substantial edge over legacy missile systems.
LMS Batch II (TLDM)
With a length of 4.3 to 5.2 metres and a mass of 750kg, the ATMACA far outperforms the U.S.-produced Harpoon Block II (130km) and France’s Exocet Block III (200km), marking a significant firepower upgrade for Malaysia’s fleet.
Guided by an Inertial Navigation System (INS) and Global Positioning System (GPS), ATMACA is engineered for autonomous operations with a low radar cross-section (RCS), making it harder to detect and intercept in contested battlespaces.
The missile also features mid-course datalink capabilities for target updates and mission abortion, as well as advanced 3D mission planning functionality—making it an ideal strike weapon for modern electronic warfare environments.
Though development began over a decade ago, ATMACA was publicly unveiled only in 2019, and in 2023 Türkiye declared its intention to replace over 350 ageing Harpoon missiles across 11 Turkish Navy ships with the indigenous ATMACA system by 2027, demonstrating its growing confidence in domestic missile technology.
In addition to powerful anti-ship capabilities, the LMS Batch II will be equipped with the Korean-developed K-SAAM (Korean Surface-to-Air Anti-Air Missile), known as “Haegung,” a modern point-defence system designed to counter both aerial threats and incoming sea-skimming missiles.
K-SAAM development began in 2011, with mass production authorised in 2019 after the system passed rigorous intercept trials involving simulated threats such as North Korea’s Kumsong-class anti-ship missiles.
LMS Batch II (TLDM)
Jointly developed by South Korea’s Agency for Defence Development (ADD) and defence firm LIG Nex1, the missile boasts a maximum range of 20km and a top speed of Mach 2, enabling it to intercept fast-moving targets at close range.
K-SAAM was conceived as a domestic alternative to the U.S.-made RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM), and is already operational aboard South Korea’s Daegu-class frigates and Dokdo-class amphibious assault ships, bolstering their layered defence capability.
The system employs a dual-mode seeker, combining radar and infrared sensors, and is enhanced with inertial mid-course guidance, making it highly effective in intercepting modern air and missile threats in complex maritime conditions.
Each RMN LMS Batch II vessel will house a 16-cell Vertical Launch System (VLS) configured for the K-SAAM missiles, enhancing the ship’s air defence envelope against saturation attacks and low-flying threats.
This integration of VLS-launched K-SAAMs transforms the vessels into formidable self-defence platforms, offering area denial capabilities crucial for escort missions, patrol operations, and task group protection in high-risk zones.
Together with their advanced combat systems, these vessels signify Malaysia’s shift toward a blue-water naval posture, enabling extended operational reach and deterrent presence in the South China Sea and beyond.
“ATMACA”K-SAAM “Haegung”
Measuring 99.56 meters in overall length with a beam of 14.42 meters and draft of 3.94 meters, each vessel displaces approximately 2,500 tons, making them compact yet heavily armed surface combatants.
The LMS Batch II ships are powered by a Combined Diesel and Diesel (CODAD) propulsion architecture, enabling top speeds exceeding 26 knots and cruising speeds of 14 knots with an operational range of over 4,000 nautical miles.
With endurance for up to 14 days at sea without replenishment, and a crew capacity of 111 personnel, these ships are tailored for long-duration deployments in remote maritime theatres.
The vessels’ integrated sensor suite includes a helicopter-compatible 3D surveillance radar, electro-optical fire control radar, embedded gun fire control system within the CMS, ESM/ELINT systems, IFF, Link-Y tactical datalink, and an electronic plotting table—ensuring superior maritime situational awareness.
Supporting quick-reaction tasks such as special forces insertion and maritime interdiction, each ship carries a 6-meter RHIB launched via aft ramp and a 7.5-meter RHIB deployed from the side using a davit.
Weapons fit includes a 76mm main gun, two quad launchers for surface-to-surface missiles, a 30mm secondary gun, dual twin-launchers for 16 surface-to-air missiles, and twin decoy launcher systems to counter radar-guided and infrared threats.
Ada-class corvette by STM
The propulsion system comprises four diesel engines, two reduction gears, and a dual-shaft setup with controllable pitch propellers, while onboard power is supported by four main diesel generators and one emergency generator for redundancy.
Stability and seakeeping are enhanced by fin stabilisers, allowing the vessel to operate effectively even in rough sea states—a critical attribute for high-speed intercepts and sustained maritime presence operations.
Upon commissioning, the LMS Batch II vessels will be one of the most technologically advanced surface combatants in the Royal Malaysian Navy’s inventory, significantly enhancing Malaysia’s maritime surveillance, deterrence, and force projection across the archipelagic Southeast Asian region.
