India leaking submarine strategy
India’s emphasis on undersea warfare is growing, but too slowly for many experts. Today, the Indian navy’s submarine fleet – India’s “silent service” – is beset with numerous problems and delays.
In China, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) shows no sign of backing off its plans to gradually increase its presence in the Indian Ocean. This influx of Chinese naval vessels does not pose an immediate threat to India’s national security, but the situation could change.
Russia, however, may wield considerable influence over the flow of events. While Russia continues to serve as a vital cog in the vast machinery that is driving the PLAN’s construction and development of a modern submarine fleet, American submarine historian and expert Norman Polmar sees ample evidence that Russia is selling India better undersea systems than those it is selling China.
“China, unlike India, is a natural enemy of Russia, and despite China’s distrust of Russia, the Chinese deal with the Russians because the Russians possess submarine and antisubmarine technologies that the Chinese want,” said Polmar. “This is solely an economic relationship involving China as a customer whereas the Russian’s longstanding military assistance relationship with India is based on a need to sustain both its economic and geopolitical bonds that Russia deems very important to its overall security.”
At the same time, the US decision to sell India sophisticated anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft known as P-8 India (P-8I) is significant as well in terms of countering any Chinese sub activities in the Indian Ocean. Although US Defense Secretary Robert Gates might have a submarine surprise up his sleeve for Indian Defense Minister A K Antony who is currently in Washington for talks, this seems unlikely given the current restrictions on high-tech exports to India.
“Keep in mind that in the P-8I aircraft, India is getting an ASW platform from the US, not comprehensive and advanced ASW systems such as sonar, or magnetic anomaly detectors,” said Polmar.
China is well aware that India has another option at its disposal. Polmar agrees that India could quickly adopt and update the naval aviation strategy that the Soviet Union devised in the 1950s. By adding several 21st-century refinements and technological advancements – the P-8I takes India in that direction – India’s degree of control over the Indian Ocean could be reinforced considerably, far surpassing what the Soviets achieved in the Western Pacific and elsewhere.
The naval aviation model looms large because India has only 16 submarines today, including 10 Russian-built Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines; four German Shishukumar-class subs; and two Russian Foxtrot subs which are used primarily for training purposes.
In June, India signed a US$80 million contract with Russia’s Zvezdochka shipyard for the fifth in a series of overhauls and upgrades of its Kilo subs. This overhaul commenced in August. [1]
Then in July, the Indian government allocated US$11 billion (over 500 billion rupees) for the development of six next-generation diesel submarines under Project-75 India (P-75I). With their air independent propulsion systems, these new subs will offer major operational advantages, and much to Pakistan’s chagrin in particular, they are envisioned as stealthy, land attack subs.
“India’s submarine force has declined because a good number of older subs will be retiring very soon – the Kilos start retiring in 2013, for example – and an insufficient number of newer subs have been acquired to replace them,” said Dr Rajeswari Rajagopalan, senior fellow in security studies at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi.
“India’s submarine fleet remains a coastal fleet because of a lack of nuclear-powered subs, and its reach is limited because the missiles on these subs have limited range. Finally, the focus of the Indian navy’s attention also appears to be on large surface ships rather than submarines, which is hindering development of the sub fleet.”
In mid-2009, India launched a nuclear sub, the INS Arihant. It is currently designated as an Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV), and it is undergoing sea trials. If all goes well, Arihant might be transferred to the Indian navy by the end of 2011. Plans call for two more ATVs with a goal of building five or six new nuclear subs. It is still unclear whether these ATVs are nuclear strategic missile subs (SSBNs) or simply nuclear – powered attack subs (SSNs). (See India’s nuclear submarine plan surfaces, Asia Times Online, Feb 20, 2009).
“Some estimates suggest that if India is to maintain an effective nuclear triad [from air, land and sea], India would need at least a fleet of 24 subs, though this is likely out of India’s reach,’ said Rajagopalan. “Meanwhile, a Russian nuclear-powered Akula II SSN – the K-152 Nerpa – has departed Russia for India under a 10-year lease.” [2]
Absent any replacements or additions to its existing fleet, the most upbeat assessment is that India’s sub fleet could be reduced to around nine by 2014 or 2015. In fact, the Indian navy has already notified the government that there is strong possibility that only nine subs might be in service by 2012, and just five in the coming years. No matter which projection proves to be accurate, the result is still a single digit total.
India is in the process of getting six Scorpene subs from the French – with an option of six additional subs – to be built at the Mazagon facility in Mumbai under the supervision of French technicians, but this procurement is experiencing a slowdown. Mazagon Docks in Mumbai will construct three of the six, Hindustan Shipyard Ltd in Visakhapatnam will construct one, and the other two may be procured from foreign sources or built by another private shipyard in India
“The delivery of the first of the French Scorpenes, which was supposed to enter service in December 2012, has been delayed. Antony addressed this situation in parliament only a few weeks back. This will clearly impact upon India’s undersea force levels,” said Rajagopalan. “India has about 35 private shipyards, of which L&T [Larsen & Toubro Ltd] and Pipavav are believed to be competing to build the two submarines, of the six planned.”
Some doubt that these two will be built in India after all.
India must focus on meeting its planned timetable for new submarine deployments to avoid critical challenges in the next decade. Among those who argue for submarines, there have been disagreements over whether to pursue nuclear-powered or conventional submarines. In fact, under the original P-75I program, there was a 30-year Submarine Construction Plan approved in 1999.
“Internal disagreements within the navy, however, have substantially undermined that plan. The fact that last two naval chiefs were naval aviators who did not appear to have great interest in allocating limited available funding for sub programs did not help matters,” said Rajagopalan.
According to some reports, once Antony became defense minister in 2006, all the decisions relating to the nuclear triad were put on hold. Antony reportedly was of the opinion that decisions involving India’s strategic nuclear program should be taken by the Prime Minister’s Office. In the process, there was little or no real progress concerning any additional SSNs and SSBNs.
“Dr VK Saraswat, director general of India’s Defense Research and Development Organization [DRDO] is of the view that SSNs can be developed easily once DRDO gets the go-ahead. He had noted that the essential difference is the weaponry and accordingly the size, but the technology for design and integration remains the same,” said Rajagopalan. “Meanwhile, the Indian Atomic Energy Commission is continuing with its work on nuclear steam reactors for the ATVs which are powered by light-water reactors using enriched uranium as fuel.”
According to Dr Bharath Gopalaswamy, a researcher in the Arms Control and Non-proliferation Program at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the principal challenge facing India is India’s own bureaucracy and its lack of vision in formulating long term strategic goals.
“The Comptroller and Auditor General’s recent report seriously criticized the Indian navy about its aging fleet – 63% of the subs would be past their operational life beyond 2012 – and highlighted that due to this aging fleet and its refit schedules (which has been consistently delayed), the average operational availability of India’s subs is as low as 48%,” said Gopalaswamy.
To make matters worse, a test check on certain submarines revealed that prescribed standards for operational patrol, tactical exercises and individual work ups were either not in play or loosely followed.
“Piecemeal modernization and upgradation of submarines at an aggregate cost of 1,560 crore rupees [15.6 billion rupees] was undertaken by the navy without taking approval of the competent financial authority,” the report said. And according to its findings, most refits were not well managed and seldom completed within the prescribed time period.
The looming sub gap that India will confront from 2013 to 2016 cannot be sidestepped. Delaying the retirement of existing subs is a very risky strategy at best.
As India starts to build its own nuclear submarines, very complex construction programs and prolonged at-sea trials will strain existing resources including manpower. Building indigenous submarine reactors is one thing, integrating them into modern undersea battle platforms in another even greater challenge. Nevertheless, despite enormous obstacles, confidence is running high and the objectives are deemed achievable in the required timeframe by many Indian naval experts
Others including Nathan Hughes, director of military analysis at Texas-based Stratfor a global intelligence company, raise serious questions about the submarine force which the Indian navy intends to deploy. [3]
“For all its various interests and challenges, India does not have a competitor like the US-USSR rivalry of the Cold War that drove massive investment and the frantic pace of development and competition. There is a certain lack of urgency to India’s drawn out effort to design a nuclear submarine of its own,’ said Hughes. “Russian assistance including leasing nuclear subs to India has been more direct and overt than Russian-Chinese cooperation, although this is also quite significant. Indeed, with China working to increase its independence from Russia and refine its own designs, Moscow may have extra bandwidth in terms of advising and design assistance and expertise from which India might benefit,”
However, the Indian navy does not now possess a viable submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), and this gap cannot be dismissed or overlooked. While the new Arihant-class ATVs may carry Sagarika SLBMs, they may do so only on a very limited basis.
“Some development work has been done with the Sagarika, but this has been from a submerged pontoon. Much more work remains for an SLBM to be integrated into a submarine and made operationally capable, said Hughes. “The only ship of the Arihant class so far will have only a very limited – if any – capacity for vertical launch of any kind. She is a technology demonstrator and more ships of the class will need to be built with modified designs before India fields a meaningful SSBN capability.” [4]
And while India is planning a Submarine-Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM) variant of the Brahmos cruise missile with a range of about 300 kilometers or more – Brahmos was jointly created with Russia – several issues must be addressed and resolved before this SLCM is deployed on Indian subs.
“Yes, this will likely be the last variant tested and certified. Ground and surface ship-launched variants have already completed testing, and preparations are being made for testing of an air-launched version. However, the Brahmos is simply too big to be fired from the 21-inch [533mm] torpedo tubes used by India’s current sub fleet, but the 25.6-inch [650 mm] tubes of the Nerpa would be sufficient in theory to do so,” said Hughes. “Other submarines India might acquire from Russia might also be tailored to carry a vertically-launched Brahmos.”
Otherwise, it is unclear if the recently leased Russian Nerpa sub is going to have Indian or Russian cruise missiles aboard.
“The inclusion of the RK-55 Granat [SS-N-21 Sampson], a medium-range land-attack cruise missile, is not likely. The inclusion of the 3M-54 Klub [SS-N-27] short-range anti-ship cruise missile is more likely, but also uncertain,’ said Hughes. “It is not clear if Indian armaments might be fitted.” [5]
Regardless of weaponry, the Indian navy needs place more emphasis on simply getting its submariners aboard their subs for longer periods of time at sea, according to John Pike, director of Virginia-based GlobalSecurity.org.
“Submarines are more difficult to operate than surface ships, and this requires more time at sea to remain proficient. India has had an easier time mapping out ambitious plans than in actual implementation, and an easier time putting submarines into service than in keeping them in service,” said Pike. “Delays and other problems have been the rule not the exception over past decades, so this seems to be business as usual. India’s naval programs, like so many other Indian military acquisition efforts, are remarkably leisurely.”
From the standpoint of flexibility, while India seems to be relying on French and Russian submarine purchases thus far, these countries do not enjoy a preferred supplier status.
“India might turn to Germany, and possibly eventually to South Korea,” said Pike. “If Japan started exporting subs, it might also export aircraft carriers.”
Pike sees little chance that Japan will start exporting subs to India or any other country for that matter anytime soon, however. Other experts agree. Japanese submarines are for Japanese use only.
Regardless, India cannot hold its breath and wait to see what does or does not happen in Kobe, where Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd is concentrating its submarine construction activities. As India focuses its attention on China instead, it must realize at the same time that some prefer to depict China as totally unprepared to churn the waters of the Indian Ocean.
“China poses no naval threat to India either on the surface or beneath the surface of the Indian Ocean. China is not seeking a naval confrontation with India there for a variety of reasons despite much talk of China’s ‘string of pearls’ strategy involving its development of port facilities in countries surrounding India,” said Polmar. “China does not intend to try and outmatch the Indian navy in India’s own backyard. China wants access to vital resources, not a series of unwanted engagements at sea. China is simply not prepared for any heated naval engagements so far from its coast at this time.”
In a nutshell, India must forge balanced submarine and anti-submarine programs, and inject them with the same energy and enthusiasm that has propelled its space program. India must also define what it expects from a true 21st-century submarine fleet. Sustained dependence on legacy undersea systems seems out of the question. Leaks in India’s submarine strategy By Peter J Brown .
Peter J Brown is a freelance writer from Maine USA.
source : http://militarystrat.wordpress.com/2010/10/07/indias-leaking-submarine-strategy/
Indonesia will realize their submarine procurrement
Yono (Ghadir class Submarine):IIran welcomes four new subs
TEHRAN, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- Iran's top defense officials attended a ceremony welcoming four new submarines fitted out with state of the art technology, officials said.
Iranian state media outlets reported Sunday the locally made Ghadir submarines have the ability to fire missiles and torpedoes simultaneously, and are fitted with the latest sonar technology. The submarines are able to operate in the shallow waters of the Persian Gulf, the reports said.
Fars and IRNA state news agencies said Defense Minister General Ahmad Vahidi and Rear Adm. Habibollah Sayyari, the commander of Iran's Navy, attended the ceremony along with senior military officials.
The reports said the submarines are an integral part of Iran's goal to become self-sufficient by manufacturing and producing its own fighter jets, armored vehicles and radar evading missiles as well as other superior weapons, for its air, naval and ground forces.
source www.upi.com
Malaysia Navy Test Their Excocet Missile :Tembakan Misil KD Tunku Abdul Rahman Tepati Sasaran
KUALA LUMPUR 26 Julai - Kapal selam pertama negara, KD Tunku Abdul Rahman hari ini berjaya melancarkan penembakan misil bawah permukaan ke permukaan, Exocet SM39 blok dua yang berjaya memusnahkan sasaran permukaan (STB) berukuran 40 meter.
Panglima Tentera Laut, Laksamana Jeneral Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaafar berkata, pelancaran tepat pukul 10.15 pagi tadi di kawasan Laut China Selatan membuktikan keupayaan Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) dan kapal selam negara menjalankan sebarang misi jika diperlukan.
"Misil yang dilancarkan tepat ke sasaran berukuran 40 meter pada kedudukan 40 kilometer (22 batu nautika) dari kedudukan kapal selam.
"Ia dilancarkan ketika KD Tunku Abdul Rahman berada pada kedalaman 55 meter iaitu paras di mana ia sukar dikesan oleh sistem penderia bawah air mana-mana kapal permukaan," katanya dalam kenyataan di sini hari ini.
Misil Exocet SM39 blok dua merupakan aset negara yang diperolehi dari Perancis pada pertengahan 2008. Peluru berpandu sepanjang enam meter dan berdiameter 35 sentimeter itu seberat 2,100 kilogram.
Abdul Aziz menambah, penembakan itu merupakan sebahagian daripada aktiviti kontrak ujian tropika.
"Ia juga bertujuan mengesahkan keberkesanan misil Exocet SM39 blok dua dan sistem persenjataan KD Tunku Abdul Rahman atau lebih dikenali sebagai SUBTICS KD TAR di kawasan laut beriklim tropika," ujarnya.
Beliau turut memberitahu, sebanyak 10 unit yang terlibat dalam penembakan tersebut akan turut menyertai latihan gabungan TLDM iaitu Eksesais Operasi Laut (Ostex) dan Latihan Integrasi Armada Kapal Selam (Subfit) yang berlangsung selama seminggu bermula Khamis ini di kawasan Gugusan Semarang Peninjau, Laut China Selatan.
Malaysian submarine couldnt diving?
Second Scopene Arrival
The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) second Scorpene submarine, KD Tun Razak, reached the Lumut naval base for an official homecoming ceremony on the 2nd of July. Mid-July, she will sail to Teluk Sepanggar, Sabah, the RMN submarine baseKD Tun Razak's voyage between DCNS facilities in the south of France and Malaysia lasted 64 days. Following the navigation plan, the Royal Malaysian Navy sailed the submarine 7283 nautical miles through the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Malacca Straits before reaching home.
During its journey, the submarine stopped in four ports of call: Alexandria (Egypt), Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Salalah (Oman) and Cochin (India). In Teluk Sepanggar, KD Tun Razak will go through scheduled maintenance before comprehensive sea trials in the tropical waters of the region.
The contract between the Malaysian government and DCNS for two Scorpene submarines and associated logistics and training was signed in June 2002. KD Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Malaysian submarine reached home in September 2009.
With a displacement of 1,550 tonnes for a length overall of 67.5 metres, each boat requires a crew of just 31 and offers an endurance of 45 days.
This programme demonstrates DCNS's know-how as a leading prime contractor for sophisticated warship programmes. With ten units ordered (two for Chile, two for Malaysia and six for India), Scorpene is an international benchmark in SSK design.
The Scorpene was designed by DCNS and developed jointly by DCNS and Spanish naval shipbuilder Navantia. The design features a range of advanced technologies - particularly in hydrodynamics, acoustic discretion and automation - drawing on state-of-the-art innovations developed for other submarine programmes.
source :http://www.defencetalk.com/second-scorpene-ssk-arrives-in-malaysia-27458/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=second-scorpene-ssk-arrives-in-malaysia
North Korea Submarine : real threat for South Korea NAvy
Sweden Launches Next-Generation Submarine Project
Kockums AB, part of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, has signed a contract with FMV (the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration), concerning overall of the design phase of the next-generation submarine.
This confirms the intention to develop Sweden’s submarine capability. Kockums is prime contractor for the order.
The Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces has emphasized the importance of acquiring the next-generation submarine on a number of different occasions.
The next-generation submarine features several advances in the development of underwater technology and marks the adaptation of submarines to meet current and future threats and to conduct the international mission now required. This refers particularly to the submarine’s role as an information gatherer.
Next-generation also refers to further refinements in terms of stealth technology. The submarine will be able to see and hear everything over a wide area, while itself remaining undetected. It will be designed to be efficient in the Baltic and other littoral waters.
“This is an important first step, not only for Kockums, but for the Swedish Armed Forces as a whole. We shall now be able to maintain our position at the cutting edge of submarine technology, which is vital in the light of current threat scenarios. HMS Gotland demonstrated what she is capable of during two years of joint exercises in the water off the USA. This next-generation submarine marks a further refinement of technology,” states CEO Ola Alfredsson, commenting.
source :http://www.defencetalk.com/sweden-next-generation-submarine-project-24473/
ATM Scorpene Submarine problematic
After receiving the Scorpene submarines at the end of 2009 last year, the operation of these submarines is hampered due to problems on the ship components.
Problems include the cooling section, this led operation in tropical waters become restricted. A source said the damaged parts were still under warranty and is expected to be resolved after months of February 2010. Damage to submarine last component is the system reported high-pressure water lines.
As known ATM malaysia, ordered 2 types of Scorpene submarines as part of an effort to compensate for the submarine force neighboring countries of Singapore, which operates the first submarine.
image source:http://media.themalaysianinsider.com/images/stories/2010feb6/kd-tunku-feb11.jpg
ndian Navy's Foxtrot submarines to be history soon
Indian Navy's Foxtrot submarines to be history soon
They have been of valuable service to the Indian Navy for more than 35 years. The Soviet-built Foxtrot submarines, with which the navy's submarine arm came into existence, will be history soon with the two remaining submarines of this class being retired by 2011 - bringing an era to an end.
"One of the Foxtrot submarines, INS Vela will be de-commissioned this year. The last one INS Vagli would retire in 2011," a senior Indian Navy official, wishing anonymity, told IANS.
The Foxtrot class was the NATO's reporting name of a class of diesel-electric patrol submarines that were built in the Soviet Union. The first of the submarines was laid down in 1957 and commissioned in 1958. By the time the last submarine was completed in 1983, the Foxtrot class had become obsolete.
"The Indian Navy's submarine arm had begun with the acquisition of four Foxtrot submarines from the Soviet Union. The first four were called Kalvari class submarines. The problems experienced with them were fed back to the design bureaus in Russia.
"Improvements were gradually introduced and we contracted for another four submarines in 1971. These Vela class submarines arrived between 1973 and 1975," said the official.
According to senior navy officials, out of these eight submarines acquired only two are operational now. The condition of the first four submarines deteriorated fast due to delay in the six-yearly refits.
The Indian Navy lacked the expertise at that time to do the refit. The Russians, because of their own submarine refit workload, were reluctant to accept Indian submarines in their dockyards.
Submariners of the Indian Navy who have operated this vessel feel a sense of nostalgia over the Foxtrots being retired.
"The boats are of German design of World War-II. But the fact that are still able to run it after 35 years of service means that the boats are very good," an Indian Navy officer, who has commanded INS Vela, told IANS.
Being an older submarine, the vessel had its own problems of space.
"Space is actually a constraint in the older submarines. As the submarines are old, and the equipments are bigger - it increases space constraint. The bunk space is so small that some people had to squeeze to get inside. But we had wonderful camaraderie onboard," the former submarine commander reminisced.
Another navy officer, who commanded the submarine in the 1980s, said: "Well, like in all submarines, fresh water was in very short supply. We used to get half a litre water daily for drinking. There was no question of having a bath or the luxury of using it for other things. But the adrenaline rush of the chosen few who could run the machine kept us going."
The submarine can be deployed underwater for 45 days at a stretch and surfaces once in a day to replenish oxygen.
One of the de-commissioned submarines of the Foxtrot class has been kept in Visakhapatnam and converted into a Submarine Museum.
"The Submarine Museum is one of its kind in Asia. It is a difficult task to lift a 1,500 tonne submarine and put it on the road," said another navy official. (source Littleabout.com)
Second Scorpene submarine to arrive in early June
Second Scorpene submarine to arrive in early June
KOTA KINABALU: The country’s second Scorpene submarine KD Tun Abdul Razak is scheduled to arrive at the Sepanggar submarine base in early June.
The navy’s Submarine Commander First Admiral Mohammad Rosland Omar, said the manufacturer, Navatia, was currently putting the submarine through its second phase of trials in waters off Cartanega in Spain.
The tests are expected to be completed by March and the submarine will take about two months to make the journey to its home base.
“Come early June, we will have our two submarines here,” he told reporters at the Quality Day event at the Sepanggar Bay naval base here yesterday.
KD Tun Abdul Razak is the navy’s second submarine, the first being the KD Tunku Abdul Rahman, which arrived at its home base on Sept 17 last year.
Rosland said more personnel would be trained to man the two submarines to meet the navy’s future needs.
Region II Commander for Sabah and Sarawak First Admiral Anuwi Hassan said operations and programmes for the two submarines for the next two years had already been put in place.
Russia to lease nuclear submarine to India for decade: report
Russia to lease nuclear submarine to India for decade: report |
www.chinaview.cn  2010-01-13 00:32:52 |   Print |
MOSCOW, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Russia will lease a multifunctional nuclear submarine to India for a decade in the second half of this year, the Itar-Tass news agency reported Tuesday, quoting a Russian Defense Ministry official. The Nerpa nuclear submarine, which successfully concluded tests last December, will be handed over to India this summer or autumn, the unidentified official told Itar-Tass. The official said Indian crew would come to Russia's military base near the far eastern port of Vladivostok to take the Nerpa on trial. "After the signing of an act of acceptance, the Nerpa will head for India," the source said. Mikhail Dmitriev, director of the Federal Service of Military and Technical Cooperation, said in December 2008 that Russia might lease a nuclear submarine to India for 10 years. The Nerpa, one of Russia's newest nuclear-powered submarines, had an accident during trials in the Sea of Japan in November 2008,killing 20 people and injuring 21 others. The submarine passed successfully several rounds of tests and was transferred to the Russian navy on Dec. 28, 2009. source:
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KD Tunku Abdul Rahman's Arrival Among Defence Highlights
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 (Bernama) -- The arrival of KD Tunku Abdul Rahman, the nation's first submarine, after a 55-day journey from Toulon, France, was among the highlights of 2009.
Sept 3 was an historic date for the nation, especially the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), as the submarine, piloted by Commander Zulhelmy Ithnain and with a 35-member crew arrived at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Naval Base in Pulau Indah, Port Klang.
KD Tunku Abdul Rahman is a new-generation diesel-electric powered Scorpene submarine. Malaysia is only the third country in Southeast Asia to have submarines, after Singapore and Indonesia.
The Scorpene, built by Defence Conseil National (DCN) of France and Navantia of Spain, can reach a speed of 20 knots and is equipped with SUBTICS, a sophisticated navigation system.
It has sub-surface to surface missiles, torpedoes (10) and mines (30) with a fully automatic reloading system.
Malaysia also bought another Scorpene, named KD Tun Razak, which is scheduled to leave France on Jan 26, 2010, and arrive here two months later.
History was also created when Gen Tan Sri Azizan Ariffin became the first RMN Chief to be appointed Chief of Defence Forces, charged with protecting the nation's sovereignty and integrity.
In an interview to mark the malaysian Armed Forces' (ATM) 76th anniversary in September, Azizan said he wanted to see a progressive ATM capable of facing the many challenges in defending the nation.
"The ATM will not compromise and look back. We are determined to defend the nation's airspace, land and waters from intruders.
"The ATM's transformation will be done in stages until it reaches `Objective Force' where it will become a force that is balanced, credible, integrated and ready to face all spectra of conflict," he said.
In June, the government announced that it would retire 18 MIG-29N fighter jets of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) and replace them with Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA).
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the MIG-29N aircraft had reached the end of its lifespan and that refurbishment would be very costly and not beneficial.
He said the move would save the government RM260 million allocated annually to maintain the Russian-made aircraft.
The government has shortlisted aircraft from five countries as replacement for the MIG-29N. Defence analysts and observers believe that Malaysia would choose the Sukhoi SU-30MKM and F-18 E/F Super Hornet aircraft.
The RMAF currently has 18 Sukhoi SU-30MKM and a squadron of eight FA-18 C/D Hornet aircraft.
Ahmad Zahid was reported as saying that two parties had shown interest in buying the MIG-29N aircraft.
MIG-29N's last appearance was at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) Exhibition 2009 on Dec 1-5.
Despite the global economic crisis, Lima 2009 raked in defence contracts worth RM4.7 billion.
Several purchases could not be inked at Lima 2009, including that of EC-725 Cougar combat helicopters from Eurocopter.
--source: BERNAMA