The Royal Malaysian Navy’s (RMN) first submarine, the KD Tunku Abdul Rahman, has successfully test fired the Exocet SM39 block 2 missile in the South China Sea.

The submarine fired at a target located 22nm away on the surface from a depth of 55m.

The 6m-long Exocet SM39 block 2 is a submarine-to-surface missile weighing 2,100kg, with a diameter of 35cm, which was sourced from France in 2008.

The RMN chief Laksamana Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaafar said the test conducted last week aimed to confirm the effectiveness of the missile and the capabilities of the submarine’s weapons system in tropical conditions.

He said the test firing of the missile was part of contractual activities in the submarine’s tropical operations.