Two first units of submarine would be built in South Korea in cooperation with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), and the third unit or the first to be built in the domestic shipyard.
Surabaya, East Java (ANTARA News) - The Defense Ministry said it has awarded state-owned shipbuilding company PT PAL Indonesia a project to build a submarine for the navy.

"The order is in line with the assignment of PT PAL Indonesia as the lead integrator in the development of the navys warships," Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said here on Wednesday.

PT Pall will have a participation capital of Rp1.5 trillion for three units of submarine to be built, Purnono said.

Two first units of submarine would be built in South Korea in cooperation with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), he said.

PT Pall would build the third unit or the first to be built in the domestic shipyard.

He said the plan has been approved by the Commission VI of the House of Representatives.

In the future , after PT PAL has mastered the technology to build submarines, construction of the next units would be handled by PT PAL in the country, he said.

"We are confident we could do it,"he said.

Design and Technology Director of PT PAL Indonesia Saiful Anwar said the most pressing at present is development of workshop for warships.

Saiful said the plan to build the submarines had been delayed that originally construction was to start in 2014, but it has been postponed until 2015.

"Construction of the third unit, the 209 type by PT PALL is expected to start in 2017, after the completion of construction of the first two in Korea" he said.

The three units will have the same model , but they would be different electronically and in weaponry because there would be updating, he said.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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