Page 30 - ADT APRIL - MAY 2021 Online Magazine

prototype of the tracked UGCV, which was shown to the Indonesian be capable of carrying 4 troops for infiltration
Army in March last year, is armed with a machine gun of either 12,7 operation. The submarine will have a maximum
mm or 7,62 mm caliber. It also has automated target tracking capa- speed of 15 knots (7 knots submerged) and a
bility, suggesting a degree of autonomous operational capability. maximum range of 4000 nautical mile. BPPT is
aiming to launch the first prototype of “Proyek [ ANALYSIS ]
Maritime Systems Kasmin” in 2025.
The loss of an Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) submarine with per-
sonnel in April has put Indonesian maritime defence projects in Nine years after the loss of KRI Klewang, the
the spotlight. While the submarine that sank was not one of the first Indonesian “stealthy” Fast Attack Craft
newer submarines that were either purchased from South Korea (FAC) prototype, in a fire in 2012, PT Lundin
or assembled in Indonesia with South Korean made components, it Industry Invest is currently preparing to launch
was feared that the accident could cause Indonesia to reconsider its replacement. As a private company in the
the contract to build three more submarines of the “Nagapasa- shipbuilding industry and the maker of the
class” (Indonesian name for South Korean “Jang Bogo-class”) first “Klewang,” the company has constructed
submarines. However, the Indonesian Ministry of Defence (Kemhan) “Klewang 2” using advanced fire-retardant
is committed to the project. The second batch of three additional materials and made various other changes to
“Nagapasa-class” submarines will soon be built by PT PAL facilities improve the ship’s reliability and performance.
in Surabaya, East Java. While no further information has been dis-
closed, it is likely that the new ship will be a
To further strengthen TNI-AL submarine force, Kemhan is also trimaran, like its predecessor. It would also be
planning to purchase three more submarines from either France capable of carrying up to four anti-ship mis-
(Scorpene-class) or Germany (Type-214), likely with similar contract siles, a Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) and
clauses as the contracts between Indonesia and South Korea. In assorted sensors and countermeasure equip-
the latter contract, Indonesia will also require that one out of three ment. Powered with four diesel engines to drive
submarines ordered will be built by PT PAL. four water jets, the 63-meter ship will be able to
reach a maximum speed of 28 knots or more.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Agency for the Assessment and With a draft of only 1.2 meters, the ship will be
Application of Technology (BPPT) and Terafulk Megantara Design able to operate much closer to the shore than
revealed the design of their jointly developed midget submarine most conventional hulled ships of its class.
last April. Known as “Proyek Kasmin” or “Kapal Selam Mini” (mini
submarine), the 32-meter-long midget submarine will be armed The “Antasena” Combat Boat is another brain-
with two torpedoes. It will be crewed with 8 personnel and will also child of PT Lundin Industry Invest. The joint
development with PT PINDAD, in which the
latter was also appointed as the ‘lead integra-
tor’ of the project, was launched in April this
year and is currently in the testing phase until
the end of June. It is expected that the first
production version can be delivered as soon as
September 2021. While the boat will be used by
the Indonesian Army to support operations in
and around beaches and interior rivers of many
islands in Indonesia, it will also be capable of
being adapted to fill the needs of Indonesian
Navy and Coast Guard. Armed with a John
Cockerill Defence’s 3030 unmanned turret with
a 30 mm cannon as its main armament, the
boat will also have two 12.7 mm heavy machine
guns on its rear deck. In the future, other possi-
ble variants of the boat can also be armed with
various configurations - ranging from a 105 mm
cannon turret to anti-ship missiles.

Thriving Aerospace Industry
The rollout of the first KF-21 jet fighter proto-
type in South Korea on April 9, 2021, was, for
some, a defining moment that put many doubts
about Indonesia’s involvement in the project to
rest. There were clouds hanging over the joint
project between Korea Aerospace Industries

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