MALAYSIA’S third and final Littoral Mission Ship Batch 2 (LMSB2) vessel for the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) was launched at STM’s Istanbul Shipyard, Turkiye in a ceremony attended by the state ruler of the Kedah in Malaysia Sultan Sallehudin and the Queen Sultanah Maliha as the Royal Sponsors. Also in attendance were the Chief of Defence Force (CDF) General Malek Razak, deputy Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Badarudin Taha and top officials from the defence ministry.
Named the Tunku Osman Jewa with a pennant number 143, its namesake is derived from the late Gen Tunku Osman bin Jewa, a member of the Kedah royal family and the first Malaysian CDF, then known as the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) Chief of Staff.
Dubbed the Tunku-class, the successful launch of all three vessels in the class means that all three ships will simultaneously undergo sensor systems integration, installation of combat and armament systems, undergo the Harbour Acceptance Trials as well as Sea Acceptance Trials. The class’ lead vessel Tunku Laksamana Abdul Jalil was launched before May ended while the second ship, Raja Laut was launched less than two weeks later. Malaysia opted to procure three of STM’s ADA-class corvette design for the project in a government-to-government (G2G) deal, making STM the main contractor for the project. The same class of vessels are operated by the Turkish Naval Forces and the Pakistan Navy.
According to STM, the onboard gun fire control system is supplied by HAVELSAN, while the 3D search radar, fire control radar, IFF, 30mm main gun, electronic support measure and chaff decoy system, as well as other electronic sensors are from ASELSAN. Meanwhile, ROKETSAN will be supplying its ATMACA surface-to-surface/anti-ship missile (SSM/AShM). According to South Korean media reports, LIG Defense & Aerospace’s K-SAAM SAMs will also be among the armaments onboard.
The country’s defence minister Khaled Nordin previously said that overall progress stood at 53.3%, surpassing the original target of 51.4%, equivalent to 22 days ahead of the planned timeline. The lead vessel–Tunku Laksamana Abdul Jalil will be handed over in September 2027, followed by the Raja Laut in the following month and the Tunku Osman Jewa in November that same year. “Following delivery, each vessel will undergo acceptance trials and operational evaluations before being commissioned into service with the RMN in phases,” the minister said in a parliamentary written reply.–-shp/adj/dl (Pix:RMN, STM)
