Article Posted on : - Aug 04, 2010

The KD Tunku Abdul Rahman submarine of Royal Malaysian Navy.

KUALA LUMPUR (BNS): Royal Malaysian Navy’s first Scorpene submarine, KD Tunku Abdul Rahman, has validated its weapon-launching capability by successfully test firing an Exocet SM39 Block 2 missile recently.

The French-made anti-ship missile was test fired on July 26 in the South China Sea. The weapon, launched from a distance of 40km, successfully destroyed a 40 meter long target.

The weapon was fired when the submarine was at a depth of 55 meters, the Malaysian Navy said.

Malaysia received KD Tunku Abdul Rahman from France on September 3, 2009.

The diesel-electric submarine has been designed for anti-submarine and anti-surface ship warfare missions. It is equipped with anti-ship and anti-submarine torpedoes, and anti-surface missiles. The submarine features several advanced technologies, including in hydrodynamics, acoustic discretion and automation.