Mindef hands over LOA to acquire second batch of littoral mission ships

ANKARA: The Defence Ministry has handed over the letter of agreement (LOA) for the purchase of the second batch of three littoral mission ships (LMS) to Turkiye defence company Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik (STM).

Ministry deputy secretary-general (development) Dr Mohd Bakhari Ismail handed the document to STM general manager Ozgur Guleryuz here on Monday (June 10).

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The handover was witnessed by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and Turkish Defence Industry Secretary Prof Haluk Gorgun at STM headquarters.

Khaled said the project will take about three and a half years to complete and Malaysia will receive all three ships by the end of 2027.

“We are confident that this project will be completed within the set time because the company is owned by the Turkish government and chaired by its President, so there is a guarantee from the government,” he told a press conference after the handover ceremony.

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Khaled has been on a five-day official visit to Turkiye since Sunday (June 9).

He said the Defence White Paper outlines the need for the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) to have 18 LMS patrolling the country’s waters in the South China Sea, Sulawesi Sea, Straits of Malacca and Sulu Sea.

The construction and fitting out of the ship will be carried out in Turkiye involving 50 companies from the Turkish defence sector.

The ships will be equipped with advanced systems and weaponry, sensors and command and control systems.

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This batch of LMS will comprise Ada-class corvettes, a type of patrol and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) vessel equipped with advanced anti-aircraft missiles.

It has a displacement of approximately 2,500 tonnes, a length of 99.56m, a keel of 14.42m and a draft of 3.94m and is powered by a 31,640kW (42,430hp) Renk Codag engine.

With a maximum speed of over 26 knots and a cruising distance of 4,000km at 14 knots, it can accommodate 111 crew.

Each vessel will have a maximum endurance (the period it can operate unreplenished) of 14 days and also have a helipad and hangar for ASW helicopters or medium-sized carriers, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).

Earlier, Khaled signed a memorandum of understanding involving the two countries on government-to-government procurement of defence products.

“This kind of MoU has never been made by Malaysia with any country but was made with Turkiye because it reflects the close relationship between the countries… a relationship based on trust, respect and the desire to help each other.

“I believe this MoU will bring benefits to both countries, especially Malaysia, because Turkiye is a sophisticated military power with good defence technology and is one of the most advanced military asset manufacturing countries in West Asia,” he said.

Khaled said as evidence of their commitment to the MoU, the two countries had agreed to set up a special committee within the next six months to plan strategic initiatives and monitor the progress of its implementation. – BK