Malaysia’s Coast Guard announced February 12 that it had selected Türkiye’s Desan Shipyard as the builder of its future Multi Purpose Mission Ship.
According to Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (the official name of Malaysia’s Coast Guard) director general Rear Admiral (Maritime) Datuk Mohd Rosli Abdullah, the Desan-built Multi Purpose Mission Ship will be fully operational in the first quarter of 2027, providing the Coast Guard with a significant leap in capabilities.
In a press release, Rear Admiral Mohd Rosli said the 99 meter long Multi Purpose Mission Ship will have a crew of 70 with room for an additional 30 passengers. It will be capable of operating at sea for up to 30 days, and will be equipped with four fast interceptor craft, and two unmanned aerial vehicles in addition to a helicopter deck, medical facilities and a detention facility on board.
Rear Admiral Mohd Rosli added that the Multi Purpose Mission Ship will be primarily used for patrols in the South China Sea, with missions including responding to intrusions by foreign ships, illegal fishing, and transnational crimes like smuggling and human trafficking.
While the cost of the Multi Purpose Mission Ship was not stated, the Coast Guard received an allocation of RM 350 million in the 2025 Malaysian budget for the ship.
The press release was issued following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Malaysia’s Ministry of Home Affairs and Desan Shipyard for the procurement of the Multi Purpose Mission Ship on February 11. The signing took place at the Malaysian Prime Minister’s official residence in Putrajaya, with the Ministry of Home Affairs represented by secretary general Datuk Aweang Alik bin Jeman, and Desan Shipyard represented by chairman of the board Cenk Ismail Kaptanoğlu.
A scale model of the Multi Purpose Mission Ship was present at the signing ceremony, showing the current proposed configuration of the ship. The ship will be equipped with a single forward remote controlled weapon system and two atop the hangar. The helicopter deck is large enough for the SH-60 Seahawk family of helicopters, while the stern also features a ramp for the loading and unloading of two fast interceptor craft.
The signing ceremony took place during Turkish President Recep Erdogan’s visit to Malaysia, with both President Erdogan and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in attendance for the signing. 10 other memorandums of understanding were signed during Erdogan’s two day visit, covering fields like government-to-government military procurements, cooperation on strategic communications systems, the energy transition, as well as disaster and emergency management.
