Malaysia's First Submarine Arrives Home

KD Tunku Abdul Rahman (photo : KLSReview)

Malaysia's first submarine, KD Tunku Abdul Rahman (KD TAR) has arrived home in the Malacca Strait following a 55 day journey from France, ahead of its official welcoming ceremony in Port Klang on 3 September.

Two submarines has bought, the second submarine expected to arrive in March 2010 (photo : Daylife)

Captained by Commander Zulhelmy Ithnain and manned by a crew of 35, the KD TAR will be at the Pulau Indah naval base until 4 September, before sailing to the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) base in Lumut.

Following the ceremony, which will be attended by the Prime Minister, the Defence Minister, and the Chief of Defence Forces, KD TAR will sail for Sepanggar Bay near Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, where it will be permanently housed, on 17 September.

The submarine will also be displayed at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2009 on December 1-5. The Scorpène class submarine was one of two ordered by the RMN in 2006 as part of its Future Fleet programme, along with a batch of Lekiu class frigates, New Generation Patrol Vessels and maritime patrol aircraft. The submarines, being constructed jointly by DCNS and its Spanish partner, Navantia, will be armed with Blackshark wire-guided torpedoes and Exocet SM-39 sub-launched anti-ship missiles.

The second submarine, to be named KD Tun Razak, is to be commissioned next month, and is expected to arrive in Malaysia in March 2010.

Malaysian Government announced that two "Scorpene" class diesel-electric submarines, the real cost is 1 billion 84.11 million euros. (photo : Daylife).

Sources: (Asian Military Review) via Defense Studies