TEMPO.CO, Surabaya - The newest Navy submarine fleet, KRI Nagapasa 403, from South Korea arrived in Surabaya today on Monday, August 28.
After a 15-day trip from the shipyard of Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) in Okpo, it was welcomed by the Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Ade Supandi at the submarine dock of Koarmatim in Ujung.
The Indonesian Navy already has two submarine fleets since the 1980s that were produced by a German company. The addition of the new submarine is an attempt to rejuvenate the country’s national defense system that has actually been planned since early 2000.
The Navy has ordered three submarines that will be sent gradually together with a transfer technology scheme. The second and first submarine was built at the DSME in Okpo, but the third submarine will be built at a national shipyard of Indonesian company Penataran Angkatan Laut (PAL).
The second submarine is planned to be complete by the end of 2017 or in early 2018, meanwhile the third is expected to be complete within next year. In accordance with the Navy’s strategic plan, Indonesia will be equipped with a total of 12 submarines to strengthen its navy fleet.
ARTIKA RACHMI FARMITA
