The third corvette destined for the Royal Malaysian Navy has entered the water for the first time in Istanbul, Turkiye.
Tunku Osman Jewa, built by STM, is the last of Malaysia’s LMS Batch-2 warships; all have been launched within the space of four months.
All three vessels are scheduled for delivery to the Royal Malaysian Navy in 2027. The shipyard will now continue with final outfitting and systems integration, followed by harbour and sea trials.
A ceremony marking the launch of Tunku Osman Jewa was held on Sunday at the Istanbul yard, attended by VIPs and dignitaries from both countries and defence industry representatives.
Turkish Deputy Secretary of Defence Mustafa Murat Şeker commented: “Today, Türkiye is among the few countries in the world capable of independently designing and building its own warships and carrying out their system integration.
“Under the project, led by STM as the main contractor, the vessels are being equipped with advanced technology systems developed by nearly 50 Turkish defence companies, including Aselsan, Havelsan and Roketsan.”
Malaysia’s Chief of Defence Force General Datuk Haji Malek Razak bin Sulaiman added: “These corvettes will support the phased replacement of our ageing ships and strengthen the Royal Malaysian Navy’s ability to protect our waters in an increasingly complex operating environment.
“The pace of this programme reflects the strength of the partnership between Malaysia and Türkiye and points to wider opportunities for defence cooperation… A launch is a milestone, not the finish line. We must carry this momentum through and deliver all vessels by the end of 2027.”
Tunku Osman Jewa and her two sister vessels — Tunku Laksamana Abdul Jalil and Raja Laut — are based on the Ada-class corvette in service with the Turkish Navy.
The three Tunku-class corvettes are just under 100m long, displace 2,400 tonnes and are capable of up to 30 knots. They can be tasked with a wide range of duties including anti-surface warfare (ASUW), asymmetric warfare (ASYW), electronic warfare (EW) and anti-air warfare (AAW).
Their Combat Management and Gun Fire Control Systems are supplied by Havelsan. Aselsan supplies the 3D search and fire control radars and IFF System, as well as the 30mm remote-controlled naval guns, decoy systems and other sensors. And Roketsan contributes the ATMACA surface-to-surface missile system.
- You can read more details on the STM website
