Malaysian navy holds annual drills in South China Sea
Dzirhan Mahadzir JDW Correspondent
Kuala Lumpur
The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) began its annual OSTEX 2011 sea-training exercise on 15 July in the East Malaysian portion of the South China Sea, close to the disputed Spratly Islands.
The week-long exercise, scheduled to end on July 21, involves 11 RMN ships, including the frigate KD Lekiu , submarines KD Tunku Abdul Rahman and KD Tun Abdul Razak , corvette KD Lekir , four patrol vessels and two minehunters.
The RMN will also deploy two Super Lynx and two Fennec helicopters, while the Royal Malaysian Air Force is deploying its F/A-18 Hornets, Sukhoi Su-30MKMs and Beechcraft 200T maritime patrol aircraft.
The RMN said the exercise's objective was not only to test its capabilities but also to display "the RMN's presence in the South China Sea as an indication of its vigilance in guarding the nation's water".
The RMN previously held 3 OSTEX annual exercises in the Malacca Straits, Peninsular Malaysia portion of the South China Sea and East Malaysian portion of the South China Sea.
In 2010 budgetary constraints meant a single exercise was held in the East Malaysian portion of the South China Sea - as is occurring this year.
The choice of venue is partly due to the basing of the RMN submarines in the area and their ongoing integration into fleet operations. However, the dispute over the Spratly Islands has also been of concern to the RMN, which has five outposts in the islands to reinforce Kuala Lumpur's territorial claims.
RMN sources said that this year's exercise was planned in 2010 and was not in response to recent tensions between China and its South China Sea neighbours over the islands.
发表于 24-7-2011 10:34 PM
吹是挺厉害的。
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