Turkey began constructing three corvette warships for Malaysia at the İstanbul Shipyard on December 5, Naval News reported, citing a press release by the Malaysian Navy.
A steel-cutting ceremony marked the start of the Littoral Mission Ship Batch-2 (LMSB2) project, following a June 10 government-to-government agreement signed in Ankara. Malaysia will become the third country to operate Ada-class corvettes after Pakistan and Ukraine.
The vessels are based on Turkey’s Ada-class design developed under MILGEM, Turkey’s homemade battleship program managed by the Turkish Navy. The program builds multipurpose warships including corvettes, frigates and destroyers for missions from reconnaissance to anti-submarine warfare.
“We pride ourselves on our high engineering capabilities and qualified workforce,” STM General Manager Özgür Güleryüz said at the ceremony. “We successfully perform critical roles in designing, constructing and modernizing various surface and submarine platforms.”
The Ada-class vessels feature stealth technology to detect and engage air, surface and underwater targets. Each ship can accommodate 108 crew members and operate a 10-ton helicopter.
Turkey delivered its first Ada-class corvette to Pakistan in September, with three more under construction — one in İstanbul and two in Karachi. Ukraine’s first vessel, the Hetman Ivan Mazepa, began sea trials on May 29 in the Sea of Marmara after launching in October 2022.
The Malaysian corvettes will be equipped with systems from Turkish defense contractors: HAVELSAN providing combat management, ASELSAN supplying radar and electronic systems, and ROKETSAN delivering surface-to-surface missiles.
Construction is expected to be completed by late 2027, the company said.