Navy sub successfully test-fires torpedo
1 NOVEMBER 2014 @ 8:06 A



KUALA LUMPUR: The Royal Malaysian Navy yesterday made history as its Scorpene submarine KD Tun Razak (KDTRZ) launched a torpedo which destroyed its target during a shooting exercise in the South China Sea.

In the 11.20am exercise, dubbed Op Barracuda 1/2014, the Black Shark torpedo caused structural damage to a modified passenger ferry.

The Defence Ministry, in a Facebook posting, said the exercise was a historic success for the navy as this was the first time the submarine had fired its torpedo since the arrival of KD Tunku Abdul Rahman in Port Klang on Sept 3, 2009.

“The deployment of the Black Shark torpedo was also the first since it was introduced by its Italian manufacturer Whitehead Aleina Sistemi Subacquei.

“This shows that the Malaysian Armed Forces, especially the navy, are always prepared and on high alert for any threat. It also places our navy among those to be reckoned with in the region.”

The exercise, supervised by Submarine Force Commander Rear Admiral Abdul Rahman Ayob, was witnessed by Defence Ministry secretary for Development Division, Mohd Shahbudin Ibrahim.

Also present was fleet commander Vice-Admiral Datuk Mohamad Roslan Mohamad Ramli, who watched the exercise from the EC725 aircraft’s platform.

Among the assets involved were the KD Jebat, KD Terengganu, KD Kasturi, KD Laksamana Tan Pusmah, Fennec helicopters and CB90 combat boats.

The ministry said the addition of the submarine in its inventory would not only beef up the navy’s capabilities, but also complement the forces’ three-dimensional warfare capability — underwater, ground and surface-to-air.

Scorpene-class submarines are widely regarded as among the most silent in the world and can operate up to a depth of more than 300m.

KDTRZ was named after Malaysia’s second prime minister, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein.

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