Sunday September 7, 2008
Scorpenes to watch over strait
By ZULKIFLI ABD RAHMAN
KUALA LUMPUR: The country’s two French-made Scorpene submarines are expected to be deployed to the narrow Straits of Malacca - one of the world’s busiest shipping routes and a favourite haunt of pirates.
This will be the first time Malaysia would use its newly-acquired submarines, named KD Tunku Abdul Rahman and KD Tun Abdul Razak, to protect the country’s important sea routes, given its geographical setting as a maritime nation.
Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) chief Laksamana Datuk Abdul Aziz Jaafar said the Scorpene is a strategic asset to help enhance the navy’s capabilities.
The submarine, which is equipped with various weapons such as torpedoes and mines, would be used to conduct maritime checks in the South China Sea including the disputed Spratly Islands and maritime borders between Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, he said.
Asked if the Scorpene could be used in the Straits of Malacca to ward off pirate attacks, Abdul Aziz said the Scorpene could play a vital role in providing stealth capabilities against naval opponents.
“The Scorpene can be used to transport a crack team of divers to carry out special duties such as sabotage on ships and it can also act as a discreet observation vehicle,” he said in an interview.
Defence analyst Dzirhan Mahadzir said the joint security patrols between countries which began a few years ago had dramatically reduced piracy attacks in the Straits.
Dzirhan noted that the submarine was primarily created for the purpose of pursuing enemy vessels during wartime although it should only be treated as a secondary measure to fight pirate attacks.
“To fight piracy, the submarine is more suitable as a surveillance vehicle, while other measures such as deploying surface attack vessels should be used if the number of enemy combatants on a seized ship is many,” the Jane’s Defence Weekly correspondent said.
The straits is one of the world’s key strategic waterways, as more than 600,000 vessels ply it annually, ferrying 30% of the world’s trade and 80% of Japan’s oil.
The 800km-long strait is an important shipping lane in the global trade system, making it a favourite haunt of pirates.
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