MINDEF HANDS OVER LETTER TO TURKEY TO BUY 2ND BATCH OF LITTORAL SHIPS

PETALING JAYA: The defence ministry handed over a letter of agreement for the purchase of the second batch of three littoral mission ships to Turkish defence company Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik (STM) in Ankara yesterday.

Bernama reported that the handover ceremony was between the ministry’s deputy secretary-general (development) Bakhari Ismail and STM general manager Ozgur Guleryuz.

It was witnessed by defence minister Khaled Nordin and Turkish defence industry secretary Haluk Gorgun at the 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 this project will be completed within the set time because the company is owned by the Turkish government and chaired by their president. So there is a guarantee from the government,” he said at a press conference after the handover ceremony.

Khaled has been on a five-day official visit to Turkey since Sunday.

He said the defence white paper outlines that the Royal Malaysian Navy needs 18 LMS to patrol the country’s waters, which include the South China Sea, Sulawesi Sea, Strait of Malacca and Sulu Sea.

The construction and equipment of the ships will be carried out in Turkey, involving 50 companies from the Turkish defence sector, including Aselsan, Havelsan and Roketsan.

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

The second-batch LMS is an Ada-class corvette – a patrol and anti-submarine warfare vessel equipped with advanced anti-aircraft missiles.

They have a displacement of 2,500 tonnes, a length of 99.56m, a keel of 14.42m and a draft of 3.94m. They will be powered by a 31,640 kW Renk Codag engine.

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

It will have a helipad and hangar to store and operate ASW helicopters as well as unmanned aerial vehicles.

Earlier, Khaled signed a memorandum of understanding between the two governments regarding government-to-government procurement of Turkish-Malaysian defence products.

He said to prove their commitment in implementing the MoU, the two countries have agreed to establish a special committee that will be formed within the next six months to plan strategic initiatives and monitor the MoU’s implementation.

2024-06-11T08:26:26Z dg43tfdfdgfd