Malaysian sub fires first shot

KUALA LUMPUR: The KD Tun Abdul Razak submarine fired its first ever torpedo in the South China Sea during a training exercise to demonstrate the capabilities of the vessel.

The Royal Malaysian Navy said in a statement that the Scorpene submarine launched a Black Shark torpedo on an altered passenger ferry at about 11.13am on Friday, decimating the vessel in a big surface explosion.

“The firing of the torpedo marks the first time our submarine has done so since the arrival of the first vessel, KD Tunku Abdul Rahman, in Port Klang on Sept 3, 2009.

“This is also the first time a Black Shark torpedo has been fired since it was introduced by its Italian manufacturer White­head Alenia Sistemi Subacquei (WASS),” said RMN in a statement.

Also involved in yesterday’s exercise were four ships, a Fennec helicopter, a CB90 combat boat and the Mega Bakti submarine rescue vessel. The Royal Malay­sian Air Force (RMAF) provided a B 200T and EC 725 aircraft for the exercise.

RMN said the successful demonstration of the torpedo launch was a sign that the country’s navy should be seen as a formidable force in the region.

“The addition of the submarine to RMN’s inventory not only increases the capabilities of the armada but completes our ability to engage in a three-dimensional war – underwater, on the surface and in the air,” it said.