The privately owned Malaysian submarine rescue ship, MV Mega Bakti, has received certification from the US Navy (USN) as an approved commercial vessel of opportunity (VOO), and can now be deployed to rescue distressed submariners, a senior Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) confirmed on 17 January.
The certification, which was received in mid-2016 following a number of pre-screening processes by the USN, will further boost the submarine rescue capabilities in the region, said Rear Admiral Abdul Rahman Ayub, Submarine Force Commander of the RMN, on 17 January. He was speaking at the UDT Asia 2017 conference in Singapore.
Mega Bakti, which is owned by Malaysian company Target Resources, is currently contracted to provide submarine rescue services for the RMN.
(Jane's)