Türkiye has completed the delivery of its first indigenous Fin Stabilizing System for corvette-class warships being constructed for the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), marking an important milestone in Ankara’s expanding footprint in global naval defence exports.
The system has been integrated into three corvettes being built under the RMN Littoral Mission Ship Batch-2 (LMSB2) programme, a key modernization initiative aimed at enhancing Malaysia’s maritime security, surface warfare, and patrol capabilities in the strategically sensitive waters of Southeast Asia. The LMSB2 corvettes are designed to perform a wide range of missions, including surface combat, maritime interdiction, surveillance, and exclusive economic zone (EEZ) protection, making platform stability a critical operational requirement.
Indigenous Technology Delivered Under STM Leadership
The Fin Stabilizing System was developed through a collaboration between STM, Türkiye’s leading naval engineering and defence technology firm, and Robotek Automation Technologies. STM serves as the main contractor for the LMSB2 programme and has overseen the system’s design, testing, and integration.
All Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs) have been successfully completed, and delivery processes for the stabilisation system have now been finalised, enabling its operational integration into the Malaysian Navy’s future surface fleet. The delivery highlights Türkiye’s growing ability to export not only complete naval platforms, but also high-value, mission-critical subsystems.
Improving Ship Performance in Challenging Sea Conditions
The indigenous Fin Stabilizing System has been engineered to significantly reduce excessive rolling motions experienced by surface warships operating in rough seas. By improving hull stability, the system allows corvettes to maintain combat readiness and mission effectiveness even under adverse environmental conditions.
Enhanced stability directly contributes to crew safety, sensor effectiveness, and weapon accuracy, particularly during high-speed manoeuvres or combat operations. The system also minimises performance degradation caused by sudden course changes, heavy sea states, or complex operational profiles encountered during exercises and real-world missions.
In addition, the stabilisation system plays a vital role in enabling helicopter operations, weapon firing stability, and replenishment at sea, all of which are essential capabilities for modern, multi-role naval combatants.
Adaptive, Robust, and Combat-Ready Design
Designed with robustness in mind, the Fin Stabilizing System features automatic and adaptive operating modes, allowing it to respond dynamically to changing sea conditions without constant manual intervention. This ensures reliable performance during prolonged deployments and high-tempo naval operations.
Its resilient construction enables sustained operation in demanding maritime environments, reinforcing its suitability for corvettes and frigates tasked with extended patrols, regional security missions, and coalition operations.
Expanding Across Turkish and Export Naval Platforms
Prior to the Malaysian corvette programme, the indigenous Fin Stabilizing System had already been installed on two additional corvettes built under separate STM-led naval projects. With the completion of deliveries for Malaysia, the system has now been deployed on five warships constructed by Türkiye, demonstrating growing confidence in its operational performance.
Looking ahead, the system is also scheduled for integration into Türkiye’s national frigate programme, including the MİLGEM İstif Class Frigates, one of the most advanced surface combatants in the Turkish Navy’s inventory. This further cements the system’s status as a core indigenous naval subsystem.
In 2024, the system received certification from Türk Loydu, enabling its use on vessels certified by all members of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS). This certification is a key enabler for international export and interoperability.
STM’s Growing Role in Global Naval Defence
With more than three decades of experience, STM has established itself as a central player in Türkiye’s defence industrial ecosystem. The company operates across a wide spectrum of strategic domains, including naval platforms, tactical unmanned systems, command-and-control solutions, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and advanced data analytics.
STM’s role in the Malaysian corvette programme underscores its ability to deliver complex naval solutions to international customers, combining platform design, system integration, and indigenous technology development. The successful delivery of the Fin Stabilizing System further strengthens Türkiye’s reputation as a reliable supplier of advanced maritime defence technologies and deepens defence cooperation with partners in Southeast Asia.
