Malaysia's Meko-100 class patrol craft program has been ongoing since the late 1990s when a consortium of Blohni + Voss, Howakltswerke Deutsche Wert't (HDW), Thyssen Rheinslahl Technik, and Ferrostaal was selected to build a program initially dubbed the New-Generation Patrol Vessel (NGPV) for use in offshore patrol, antipollution, oil-spill cleanup, search-and-rescue. and later anti-submarine warfare duties. A letter of intent to order the class was signed in February 1999 for the initial six units and the construction contract was signed 21 months later in November 2000. Now known as Meko-100 (or Kadah-class) patrol ships, construction moved smoothly at first with the first steel being cut during June 2001 at Blohm + Voss.
In mid-2003. Blohm + Voss provided fully outfitted, prefabricated sections for the first two ships. Kadah and sister Pahang (shown here following launch), to he assembled at PSC-Nuval Dockyard in Malaysia. Construction of the pair was completed in 2005, but both ships subsequently tailed their initial acceptance trials. Program delays and a host of problems at PSC-Naval Dockyard led to a government takeover of the shipbuilder in August 2005. On 3 April 2006 the Malayskm Navy conditionally accepted the long-delayed Riiikih into service. Although the government hopes to have all six of the class delivered by 2008, many analysts do not expect to see the class fully operational until around 2012.
As reported in January's Combat Fleets column, two of Sweden's Vastergnllandclass (Type A-17) have been decomissioned for eventual transfer to Singapore. The two newer units of the class-Siklermunland and Östergötland, respectively commissioned in 1989 and 1990-will remain in Swedish service after having completed extensive modernisation under a 1999 contract with Kockums in Sweden. The modifications included cutting the submarines in half and inserting, aft of the sail, a 10-meter-long section conlaining two Sterling air independent generators and the liquid oxygen tanks required for underwater air-independent propulsion (AIP). Södermanland. shown here alter modernization. and Östergötland returned to service during July 2004 and July 2005 respectively. They are joined in the Swedish Navy by the three-boat Gotland-class (Type A-19) submarines, which are also equipped with Sterling AIP units.
During March 2006. Italy look delivery of the Type 212A submarine Sulvalore Todaro, that nation's first suh capable of air independent propulsion. The hunt, shown here while tinder construction at Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri. has diesel-electric propulsion and carries nine Siemens Polymer Electrolytic Membrane fuel cells providing underwater air-independent cruising for a distance of some 420 nautical miles at an average speed of 8 knots. The submarine and its soon to he delivered sister Scire'. were built under a 1995 cooperative agreement between Italy and Germany. The Type 212A submarines, and their Type 214 German sisters, are among the quietest, most technologically advanced diesel boats in lhe world. The Italian Navy hopes to buy two more Type 212A submarines, though fiscal realities have postponed additional purchases.