Myanmar has announced the commissioning of China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN ) former Type 35B Ming-class submarine.
Dubbed ‘UMS Minye Kyaw Htin’, the commissioning of the vessel took place on 24 December, during which the Myanmar Navy (Tatmadaw) also marked its 74th Anniversary.
UMS Minye Kyaw Htin is the second submarine to join Tatmadaw fleet after the commissioning of former Indian Navy’s Kilo-class submarine INS Sindhuvir in 2020.
The submarine is named in the honour of the King of the Toungoo dynasty.
Myanmar State Administration Council chairman and Myanmar Armed Forces commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing attended the commissioning ceremony of the new warship.
The other vessels commissioned at the event included UMS Inwa, the Inlay-class OPV, two Riverine Fast Attack Crafts and four Riverine Patrol Boats.
The Chinese Ming-class diesel-eclectic attack submarine was built in four variants.
The Type 035B variant, which is one of the four variants, just joined the Myanmar naval fleet. It is designed to fire missiles from its torpedo tubes.
Bangladesh is an existing customer of the Ming-class, having acquired two Type 035G, both delivered in 2016.
Type 035 submarine has a displacement of 2,100t, 76m length and 7.6m beam, and a submerged speed of 18k.
The submarine has an operating depth of 300m.
