The Royal Malaysian Navy's (RMN) second Scorpene, KD Tun Razak, is scheduled to be transferred to the RMN in two months, as the submarine recently left Toulon, France for Malaysia. The two Scorpene units ordered by the RMN were built by DCNS. The first unit, KD Tunku Abdul Rahman, was transferred to the RMN last year.
The RMN is one of several South-East Asian navies currently pursuing a submarine acquisition program. Others include Indonesia, Singapore, and Vietnam. Indonesia has yet to decide on a final design, as Jakarta is known to be interested in either the Russian Kilo class or the South Korean-made Type 209 submarines. Singapore is rumored to be interested in Sweden's next-generation Type A26 and the German Type 214 submarines. Meanwhile, Vietnam announced last year contract signing for the purchase of six Kilo class submarines.
However, it would be premature to ring alarm bells, as the regional political influence of these submarines are difficult to determine for the time-being. While their possession alone may have limited short-term influence, their potential for greater and longer term impact may become clearer should these navies turn out capable of conducting effective submarine operations. Of them, Singapore may possess the greatest potential.
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