Turkish defence shipbuilder STM has launched the first vessel in a new class of three warships that the company is building for the Royal Malaysian Navy.
The future KD Tunku Laksamana Abdul Jalil and her sisters, which have been officially designated as littoral mission ships (LMS), will be built in Turkey with STM as the prime contractor responsible for all phases of the project from design to delivery.
STM will undertake ship design, project management, construction management, material/system procurement, integration design and installation, tests, and integrated logistics support (ILS) activities. The company will also be responsible for the preparation of design and ILS documents related to the project.
Each LMS will have a length of 99.56 metres, a displacement of 2,500 tonnes, and a maximum speed of 26 knots. Accommodation will be available on each ship for 111 personnel.
Each vessel's armament will include a 76mm naval gun, a 30mm remote controlled stabilised gun, Atmaca anti-ship missiles, and K-SAAM surface-to-air missiles. Each ship will also be fitted with chaff dispensers and a helicopter deck.
Özgür Güleryüz, General Manager of STM, expects that the second and third LMS will be launched in June and August of this year, respectively.
