Myanmar Navy Commissions Type 035 Submarine UMS Minye Kyaw Htin

26 Desember 2021

UMS Minye Kyaw Htin (photos : dsinfo)

During the 74th anniversary ceremony The establishment of the Myanmar Navy (Tatmadaw Yay) on December 24, 2021 at the Myanmar Naval Dockyard, Sinmalaik, Thilawa Dockyard, Yangon Naval Base, on December 24, 2021, the most surprising of the ceremony was the commissioning of the Type 035 (NATO code-class Ming) submarine, UMS Minye Kyaw Htin, ship number 72, with the ceremony hoisting the Shan flag and the Burmese Navy Naval flag aboard ship and Senior General Min Aung Hlaing presented a badge to the commander of the ship.

In the ceremony of the 74th anniversary of the Burmese navy, there is still a warship stationed by Burma in the country. UMS Inwa Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) No. 53, the second Inlay-class Offshore Patrol Vessel, two of 18m Riverine Fast Attack Crafts and four of 20m Riverine Patrol Boats, and also on display naval powers such as the Landing Platform Dock (LPD) UMS Moattama, vessel number 1501.

The UMS Minye Theinkhathu submarine, ship number 71, is the first submarine of the Burmese Navy. It was originally a submarine  Sindhughosh class (Project 877EKM Kilo, Russian export version), formerly in service with the Indian Navy as the S58 INS Sindhuvir submarine.

The Myanmar Navy has inaugurated the UMS Minye Theinkhathu (71) submarine for its 73rd anniversary. The Burma Navy was established on December 24, 2020, with the Myanmar Navy stating that these submarines will be primarily used for training. But it will also be used to maintain national interests at sea.

Type 035 submarine has 2,110 tonnes in displacement and 76m in length (photo : MRTV)

One of the Type 035 vessels that China has recently delivered to Myanmar is identified as the Type 035B-class submarine, the last of the five Type 035-class submarines built between 2000-2003, numbers 309, 310, 311, 312 and 313.

The Type 035 submarine is based on the Type 033 submarine, based on the Russian Romeo-class submarine that passed production patents to the People's Republic of China prior to the 1960s Soviet-China conflict. Before relations regained after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.

The Type 035B is classified as an obsolete diesel-electric submarine design. With a boat length 76m, width 7.6m, water depth (while on the surface) 5.1m, displacement while diving at 2,110 tonnes, has two propellers. Underwater speeds up to 18knots, dive depths up to 300m, 57 crew members.

Armed with 533mm heavy torpedo tubes at the bow, 6 launchers and 2 sterns, can be mounted on the ship with 14 rounds of anti-surface or anti-submarine heavy torpedo or 28-32 mines, and can fire missiles. Can guide ground-to-ground missiles from underwater torpedo launchers.

Myanmar Navy also add with one Inlay-class OPV, two 18m FAC and four 20m Patrol Boats (photos : dsinfo)  

The People's Liberation Army Navy is decommissioning its older diesel-electric attack submarines, including all existing Type 035-class submarines, by the 2020s and replacing them with a more modern type, the Type 039A/B/C-class.

As the Chinese People's Liberation Navy's submarines are classified as high-class secret warships, the Type 035B submarines delivered to Myanmar do not have a serial number, making it difficult to identify which one. It was also not revealed that apart from the hull and training, what kind of weapons China had delivered along with the ship was not disclosed.

The delivery of the Type 035B submarine was a sign of balancing with Burma's friendly powers. According to the Myanmar Navy, there is a need for a combined submarine, four ships, which now have both Russian and Chinese, and maybe ordering two new Project 636 Improve Kilo-class submarines from Russia.

(AAG)