During the recent edition of the naval exercise TAMING SARI 23/25, the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) marked a milestone in its anti-submarine warfare capabilities: for the first time, the submarine KD Tun Razak, of the Scorpène class, carried out the launch of a Black Shark torpedo in combat configuration. The launch was carried out this past July 29 during maneuvers conducted by the Force in waters of the South China Sea, which also included launches of Exocet anti-ship missiles by surface units, such as the frigate KD Lekiu and the corvette KD Lekir.
The TAMING SARI 23/25 Exercise, carried out between July 8 and 31 from the naval bases of Lumut and Kota Kinabalu, was executed in coordination with the KERISMAS 28/25 exercise. Both maneuvers, developed in the Maritime Zone of Malaysia, in the South China Sea, included the participation of the Navy, the Army, the Royal Air Force, and the Maritime Law Enforcement Agency. During these days, the activities sought not only to strengthen interoperability, but also to evaluate operational protocols and fine-tune the response to conventional threats in complex scenarios.
The Scorpènes of the Royal Malaysian Navy
The Royal Malaysian Navy currently operates two Scorpène submarines, designated as the Perdana Menteri class: KD Tunku Abdul Rahman and KD Tun Abdul Razak, both commissioned in 2009 after a contract signed with France in the year 2002. Each unit has a displacement of approximately 1,600 tons on the surface and 1,740 tons submerged, a length close to 67 meters, a crew of 32 personnel, and can reach speeds of up to 20 knots submerged. It is equipped with active/passive sonar, I-band navigation radar, Thales DR 3000 ESM system, and versatile armament: Black Shark heavy torpedoes, Exocet SM39 anti-ship missiles, and up to 30 naval mines.
To ensure its operability, in 2025 the Navy awarded a five-year maintenance and repair contract, valued at approximately USD 240 million, to the company BHIC Submarine Engineering Services, with comprehensive refits planned at the Teluk Sepanggar base. This, in turn, is framed within the 15-to-5 transformation plan, which seeks to consolidate the fleet and guarantee the sustainability of its advanced capabilities.
For its part, the Black Shark heavy torpedo, designed and manufactured by the Italian firm WASS (Leonardo) especially for Scorpène submarines and other classes, features fiber-optic guidance, advanced multi-frequency sonar, and substantial improvements in detection, speed (93 km/h), and range (up to 50 km). Its electric propulsion with brushless motorization and Al-AgO battery prevents performance loss at great depth. The most recent version, called Black Shark Advanced, incorporates lithium-polymer batteries and greater ECCM capabilities.
Finally, it is important to highlight that this type of exercise, with the addition of the successful launch of the Black Shark torpedo, not only validates the capabilities of the Royal Malaysian Navy’s Scorpène submarines, but also demonstrates a high level of tactical integration by coordinating attacks from surface units and submarines. This type of combined exercise reinforces Malaysia’s strategic deterrence in a maritime environment of growing competition, while at the same time underlining the progress of its modernization program and the will to maintain a credible and prepared presence within the Indo-Pacific.
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