Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Siwi Sukma Adji told the press here on Monday that the submarine would be the third order for the firm.
Two other submarines, which had been delivered last year, were built jointly by PT PAL Indonesia and a South Korean ship builder in the Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) facility in Okpo, South Korea.
The third submarine, he noted, was completely built and assembled in the firm`s dock yard in Tanjung Perak port, Surabaya, under a technology transfer agreement with South Korea.
"By the end of the year, around October, we will commission the submarine manufactured by PT PAL Indonesia," he added.
Adji reiterated that the Indonesian Navy has continued to develop its weaponry defense system up to 2024.
"We will continuously replace warships which are already downgraded. Gradually, we will improve our weaponry defense system," he noted.
In addition to submarine, the Indonesian Navy has ordered other warships to PT PAL Indonesia five years ago, including the Landing Platform Dock (LPD) and fast missile boat, with some of them having been delivered in the past two years.
"Some warships delivered from PT PAL have already been operated," Adji noted.
Indonesia and South Korea sealed a $1.1 billion contract for the three Nagapasa-class diesel-electric submarines in December 2011 as part of the Ministry of Defense`s 2024 Defense Strategic Plan, which calls for the acquisition of at least 10 new submarines.
The lead submarine in the class, KRI Nagapasa, arrived in Indonesia on Aug 28, 2017, while the second Nagapasa-class submarine, KRI Ardadedali, arrived on April 25, 2018.
Reporting by Slamet Agus Sudarmojo/ Hanif Nashrullah
Editing by Sri Haryati, Rahmad Nasution
Reporter: antara
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
