The ideal number of submarines to support our forces is 12.Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Naval Chief of Staff, Admiral Muhammad Ali, has said that the navy is prioritizing the procurement of submarines to meet the minimum essential force (MEF) and force posture projection for 2025–2045.
He said that currently the Indonesian Navy is supported by 4 submarines, while the target outlined in the MEF is to augment the submarine strength to 12 by the end of 2024.
"The ideal number of submarines to support our forces is 12. However, we are still considering the government's budget. In the meantime, a few submarines are quite good," Ali said after attending an Indonesian Navy workshop in Jakarta on Monday.
The four submarines in the Indonesian Navy's current fleet are KRI Cakra-401, KRI Nagapasa-403, KRI Ardadedali-404, and KRI Alugoro-405, he added.
Except for KRI Cakra-401, the three other submarines were obtained via cooperation between the Indonesian and South Korean defense industries, he informed.
According to Ali, KRI Alugoro was the only submarine to be assembled by state-owned naval engineering company PT PAL in Surabaya, East Java, while KRI Nagapasa and KRI Ardadedali were manufactured entirely in South Korea.
KRI Cakra, which is the twin of the fallen KRI Nanggala-402, is a German-made attack submarine that has been operational since 1981, he said.
As part of an effort to meet the Navy's submarine needs, Ali had visited several countries in Europe, including Germany, to learn about the development of submarine technology.
On September 25, 2023, the admiral visited a submarine factory in Kiel, Germany, and reviewed submarine types 212 and 214 made by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH, Germany.
However, he said that the procurement of submarines falls under the authority of the Indonesian Defense Ministry.
"We will propose which submarine is suitable for Indonesian waters," he added.
To meet the targeted strength of the Indonesian Navy for 2025–2045, the procurement of submarines still remains a priority, he affirmed.
This commitment is in line with a suggestion made by Deputy V to the Presidential Chief of Staff, Jaleswari Pramodawardhani, on the same occasion.
While giving her presentation, she stressed that submarines and military satellites must be prioritized to strengthen the Indonesian Navy in the future.
"Submarines are top predators of the marine ecosystem that can fight aircraft carriers, which are often used to project power, specifically in the Asia-Pacific region," Pramodawardhani stated.
The process of meeting the Indonesian Navy's MEF is currently entering the third or final stage (2020–2024 period), and as of September 22, 2023, the Indonesian Navy's minimum basic strength reached 67.86 percent. The figure included warships, submarines, aircraft, and marine combat materials.
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Translator: Genta Tenri M, Resinta S
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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