SHAH ALAM: Back in the saddle again. It appears that KD Tun Razak, the second Prime Minister-class submarine, has returned into service after its refit programme. The RMN published a video about the submarine on patrol, yesterday, on its YouTube channel yesterday.
In the 1.17 minute video, the submarine was shown diving into the sea. The crew was also shown from the control room all the way to the engine room. Those in the control room were wearing their flash gear while the other crew were shown with surgical masks on indicating that the RMN is taking precautionary measures against Covid-19 while underway. This is another indication that the video, inside the submarine, was only done recently.
A screenshot of the video.
We are out there. Whether above or under the surface. Always, says the video caption.
The bridge of KD Tun Razak as the submarine conduct operations during Ramadan in June, 2016, TLDM picture
I had been told previously that Tun Razak was undergoing sea trials since late last year and it appears that the publication of the video as a clear indication that the submarine is already in service. It must be noted that the RMN Subforce also published a corporate video on Youtube some two years ago about the same time that KD Tunku Abdul Rahman returned into service after undergoing the same refit programme.
From Malaysian Defence post.
KD Tunku Abdul Rahman, RMN’s first submarine is undergoing its first major refit. Based on the pictures taken by the RMN during the visit of its chief, Admiral Ahmad Kamarulzaman Badaruddin, it is an extensive one though nothing official has been announced on the things to be replaced on the submarine.
As the Boustead DCNS facility at Sepanggar could only performed one refit at a time, it is likely that Tun Razak refit started in mid-2017, after she took part in LIMA 2017. So did the Boustead DCNS performed the refit programme on time? It stated before that the contract calls for each refit to be completed in 18-months time. I have no idea as the RMN had not announced the start and completion date of both refits.
Anyhow, the video also came out almost at the same time as news of China’s survey around Malaysia’s Economic Exclusive Zone in the South China Sea. Was this a cryptic message for those out there? Your guess is as good as mine.
— Malaysian Defence
View Comments (101)
Congrats TLDM! We know that now both of our scorpene submarines are now at their best material condition.
It is also a good way to increase our local technical capability regarding to submarine systems. One of our local company even developed a robotic system to clean hull acoustic coatings (also designed a robot to remove costings during the refit), which really impressed DCNS.
http://www.newsabahtimes.com.my/nstweb/fullstory/2838
Right now the issue is how to retain all that knowledge, and how to maximise all the infrastructure we have build for this refit. The next refit cycle would be around 10-15 years in the future. Without anything to do before that next refit cycle comes, all the knowledge and human resource would surely be lost. I know that we are probably going into recession in the near future, but spending money into our economy is something we should do to prop up the economy. Between 2020-2030, we should use our submarine maintenance infrastructure to build 1 more scorpene submarine. Use the planned budget to build TLDM PVs to build 1 more sub. A scorpene costs about USD500 million, and that is just about the cost of 2 Kedah class OPV.
https://www.malaysiandefence.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/PIC_8.jpg
Submarine hangar
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/EL068mUU8AAVFqh.jpg
Submarine lift in front of the hangar
Reply
If we have the money to buy an extra submarine it should be built in France, or India where they are still finishing the Scorpene project. The same facility at Sepanggar is also used for emergency repairs for both submarines so if they used it to build a new one there is no place to fix them. Furthermore the facility was never designed to build submarines so more money is needed
Buying a 3rd sub from overseas would not give any economic benefit to trickle down to malaysian engineering companies, engineers, technicians and general workers, which is important to mitigate the effects of recession.
Major components such as the sub hull could be subcontracted to india, brazil or france. Other than that, the sub build is similar to what we did during the refit.
Reply
Yes we did that with the LCS, look what happen to it...
@ marhalim
LCS is quite different from this proposition.
LCS is a totally new design, not leveraging anything from the previous NGPV project. LCS is also trying to build multiple ships at the same time.
A 3rd scorpene is basically repeating most of the things we already did for the refit, which we already did 2 times. But instead of gutting an operational sub, we will be fitting conmponents in a new sub hull. Bare hull modules should mostly complete before shipped to Sepanggar, as there is no hull fabrication facilities there. Probably minor parts such as the sail and fins can be fabricated in locally boustead pulau jerejak and transferred to Sepanggar. Only fitting out of internal of the hull and welding 2 section of the hull together is done in Sepanggar, which are mostly similar steps done during refit.
Btw i cannot pass capcha to reply i border security redux article...
... - “Buying a 3rd sub from overseas would not give any economic benefit to trickle down to malaysian engineering companies, engineers, technicians and general workers”
Will those so call “economic benefits” actually lead to long term tangible benefits? Will it justify the costs needed to establish the set up?
Viewed objectively, holistically and rationally; would it not make more sense to have it build abroad? Will the so called “economic benefits” to be gained actually be of future use of when we ever decide on a 4th boat?
To the detriment of the tax payer and end user we’ve had no shortage of big plans that were intended to benefit the country but ultimately went ratshit. We ended up paying more in the end and nothing was delivered in time, within budget and on spec...
....
Does fitting out or assembling a boat from components sourced elsewhere actually lead to benefits apart from filling the coffers of the main contractor? Will the experience actually benefit the local industry? Will costs savings be achieved by avoiding all the hassle in the first place?
@ azlan
" Will it justify the costs needed to establish the set up? "
Unlike the LCS which we need to spend millions to upgrade the Lumut yard, the costs for infrastructure in Sepanggar has been paid for during the refit programme.
Unlike the LCS i suggest no hull fabrication in Sepanggar, which makes the build process as close as possible to a refit programme.
For the 3rd sub to be fully built abroad, it would not be a sound proposition, as the money would not be spent in country. Then the bean-counters would prefer the budget to be spent on other programmes that would be spent in country, and not on a sub.
Until I have the facts I won’t be quick to lay blame on who’s responsible but the LCS saga is a major cockup. After the Kedah fiasco this was not supposed to have happened. Yes, another case of something not being delivered on time, on spec and within budget.
We had plans to assemble the Light Gun. Would this really have contributed to the local industry? Did DEFTECH assembling Supacat benefit anyone apart from DEFTECH? What actual
benefits were gained from licence assembling the AUG and M4? What so call “self sufficiency”? Let’s not even go into the Adnan and AV8 and the supposed benefits gained.
The Little Bird cockup is another reminder. Instead of dealing direct with the OEM we went via a 3rd party. We paid more for this but what happened? Will we ever learn?
Watched it,
really proud of them all.
"We had plans to assemble the Light Gun. Would this really have contributed to the local industry? Did DEFTECH assembling Supacat benefit anyone apart from DEFTECH? "
Oh my. How much would Deftech have charged just for their turning a few screws.
AM,
How much did ATSC charge for removing the canopies in the Fulcrums?