Spotlight to fall on first Scorpene submarine

2009/11/23

By Leslie Andres

KUALA LUMPUR: Next Tuesday, the biggest armada of warships and other vessels in the history of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Lima '09) will be anchored off Porto Malai. Ninety-six such vessels from nine countries have confirmed their participation -- roughly three times more than when the exhibition was inaugurated in 1991.

That year, the majority of the 30-odd vessels were anchored, not in Porto Malai, but at the Kuah jetty, and the only foreign participants were the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) destroyer HMAS Torrens and two Indonesian high-speed patrol craft.

It is a testament to how much the maritime segment has grown that it now boasts of equal billing with the aerospace segment, attracting as wide a range of vessels as the air show attracts aircraft.

The star of this year's maritime show will, without a doubt, be KD Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first of the Royal Malaysian Navy's (RMN) mighty Scorpene submarines.

The diesel electric "boat", built by Direction des Constructions Navales Services of France and Spain's Navantia, is one of the most advanced and silent conventional submarines.

It arrived only recently, and together with KD Tun Abdul Razak, which is expected to be delivered soon and arrive home next year, will make up RMN's prime minister-class submarines.

Equipped with heavyweight torpedoes and sub-surface launched anti-ship missiles, the two submarines are to be at the frontline of the nation's maritime defence.

The KD Tunku Abdul Rahman will be joined by other surface assets from RMN, including the Lekiu-class frigate KD Lekiu, the Laksamana- class corvettes KD Laksama- na Hang Nadim and KD Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil, and the training vessel KLD Tunas Samudera.

There will be two destroyers berthed at Porto Malai during Lima '09 -- the Republic of Korea Navy's (ROKN) ROKS Chunmugong Yi Sunshin and the United States' USS Mustin.

Both of these vessels are equipped with state-of-the-art radar systems and anti-ship and air defence missiles.

Other notable vessels, include RAN's HMAS Glenelg -- an Armidale-class patrol boat -- and the ROKN's ROKS Dokdo, an amphibious assault ship.

For visitors who are interested to have a closer look at the various vessels and warships, ferry services are provided at a nominal fee.

Lima '09, organised by HW Lima Sdn Bhd, will be held from Dec 1 to 5.

Exhibition booths for both the aerospace and maritime segments will be at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre.