DESAN Shipyard has formally begun construction of the second Multi-Purpose Mission Ship (MPMS 2) for the Malaysian Coast Guard, following a steel cutting ceremony held on 11 February 2026 at ATLAS Shipyard in Tuzla. DESAN acquired the shipyard in 2024 to expand its production capacity and scale projects for the Asia-Pacific market. The construction agreement was signed in January 2026.
The 99-metre offshore patrol vessel will be built in Türkiye within 24 months. Together with MPMS 1, the platform is scheduled for delivery by the end of 2027 and will rank among the largest ships in the Malaysian Coast Guard’s inventory.
MPMS 2 will be constructed as a sister ship to the first vessel, retaining the same core technical configuration while incorporating additional capabilities. Designed for long-endurance maritime security and constabulary missions, the vessel will be capable of operating at sea for up to 30 consecutive days. It will accommodate 70 crew members and 30 passengers, include onboard medical facilities, and provide holding capacity for up to 45 detainees.
The ship will be equipped to deploy four fast interceptor boats and operate two vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicles. An 11-tonne helicopter deck will further expand operational flexibility, enabling support for medium-class rotary-wing aircraft.
As with the lead ship, the platform will integrate advanced combat, electronic and communications systems from leading Turkish defence companies, including ASELSAN and HAVELSAN. The vessel will be certified by Turkish Lloyd.
In addition, MPMS 2 will feature an unmanned surface vehicle developed and built by DESAN, marking the company’s first export of an indigenous unmanned surface vessel.
Speaking at the ceremony, Cenk İsmail Kaptanoğlu, Chairman of DESAN, stated that construction activities are continuing simultaneously across multiple military projects, including the Hisar-class Offshore Patrol Vessel and MPMS 1 programmes, and emphasised that delivering the ships ahead of schedule remains a priority.
In shipbuilding practice, steel cutting represents the first physical milestone in a vessel’s production lifecycle, marking the transition from design and preparatory work to full-scale hull construction.
Author: Özgür Ekşi
