Kuasa Kapal Selam Berkuantiti Kecil dan Pengajaran daripada Sejarah Strategik kepada Malaysia (The Power of Small Submarines’ Quantity and Lessons from Strategic History for Malaysia)

Abstract

The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) currently operates only two submarines, positioning it as a relatively late adopter of submarine capabilities within Southeast Asia. Despite substantial criticism regarding the limited number of these submarines, which is often deemed the minimal ideal, historical strategic analysis reveals that even a single submarine can exert considerable strategic influence in contemporary warfare. This article examines two post–World War II submarine operations that successfully resulted in the sinking of enemy warships, drawing strategic insights from these instances. The cases in question are the sinking of INS Khukri by PNS Hangor during the 1971 India–Pakistan War and the sinking of ARA General Belgrano by HMS Conqueror during the 1982 Falklands War. The article contends that, notwithstanding the RMN’s limited submarine fleet, the strategic lessons derived from these two conflicts demonstrate that a solitary submarine can still achieve remarkable strategic outcomes.