The first of two Scorpene-type submarines ordered by the Malaysian Navy has been officially named the Tunku Abdul Rahman at DCNS’s Cherbourg shipyard by Malaysian Minister for Defence Najib Tun Razak at a ceremony attended by Malaysian and French officials.

Today’s ceremony is an important milestone in the execution of the contract signed on 5 June 2002 by the Malaysian government and DCNS as it marks the completion of the construction phase. In a few weeks’ time, after completing equipment quay-side testing, the boat will be ready to start its sea trials. The Tunku Abdul Rahman is scheduled to be handed over to the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) in January 2009 and the second boat at the end of the 2009′s.

Tunku Abdul Rahman (8 February 1903 – 6 December 1990), also known as Bapa Kemerdekaan (Father of Independence) and Bapa Malaysia (Father of Malaysia), was Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya from 1955 and Malaysia’s first Prime Minister from independence in 1957 until he retired from public life in 1970.

Malaysia ordered for two brand-new Scorpene submarines for RM3.4 billion in 2002 which were jointly built by French shipbuilding giant Defence Conseil National and its Spanish partner, Navantia.

The RMN is expected to take delivery of the vessel inaugurated today in January 2009 and is expected to arrive in Malaysia six months later.

The second submarine, to be named “KD Tun Razak” is expected to be handed over in October 2009 and arrive in the country in March 2010.

A second-hand reconditioned submarine “Quessant”, to be used for training purposes, was booked under an agreement with a Malaysian company “Perimekar”. Amaris has a contract with Perimekar to provide services to RMN trainees in France. Quessant is outside Amaris-Perimekar scope of cooperation.

Singapore has four Sewdish-made submarines, while Indonesia is to take delivery of four submarines from South Korea in a few years.

Malaysia’s Scorpene submarines are expected to be based at the RM690 million navy base in Sepanggar Bay in Sabah. The 390-hectare base is the biggest navy facility for the Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan territorial waters.

Following acquisition of the submarine, the RMN has established a special submarine unit tasked with the administration of the squadron, training school and logistics for the submarines.

Currently, a 142-member navy crew and officers are undergoing a four-year training programme at the DCN Dockyard in Brest, about 500km from here, to operate the Scorpene submarines.