TNI AL Has a New Patrol Ship Made in Batam Shipyard

Two fast patrol boats made in Batam will immediately strengthen the Indonesian Navy bases in Surabaya and Manado.

DISPEN LANTAMAL IV BATAM

The Republic of Indonesia ship or KRI Butana-878 was launched from the Citra Shipyard shipyard in Batam, Riau Islands, Tuesday (7/5/2024).

BATAM, KOMPAS — TNI Navy inaugurated two fast patrol boats made by shipyards in Batam, Riau Islands. The domestic shipping industry is expected to be a solution to reduce dependence on other countries in procuring the main weapons systems or defense equipment.

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Ali in Batam, Tuesday (7/5/2024), said that the two warships were named the Republic of Indonesia Ship (KRI) Butana-878 and KRI Selar -879. The twin ships, which are 40 meters long and 17 meters wide, are capable of speeds up to 24 knots or 44.5 kilometers per hour.

"Compared to the old patrol boats, KRI Butana-878 and KRI Selar-879 have larger fuel and fresh water tanks, thus capable of sailing longer at sea. As such, the new ships are able to perform various law enforcement missions at sea or rescue operations," said Ali.

KOMPAS/PANDU WIYOGA

Chief of Staff of the Navy Admiral Muhammad Ali (center) attended the inaugural launch of the Republic of Indonesia Ship Bung Karno-369 at the shipyard of PT Karimun Anugrah Sejati, Batam, Riau Islands on Wednesday (April 19, 2023).

Two fast patrol vessels were built to strengthen the main base of the Indonesian Navy (Lantamal) V in Surabaya, East Java, and Lantamal VIII in Manado, North Sulawesi. The handover of the second vessel to the two bases will take place in August.

"We still need a lot of patrol boats because the Indonesian sea is very vast. In the Second Fleet Command, there are several boats that need to be replaced because they are already old," said Ali.

The two warships were named KRI Butana-878 and KRI Selar-879. The twin ships, measuring 40 meters in length and 17 meters in width, are capable of cruising at 24 knots or 44.5 kilometers per hour.

The construction of KRI Butana-878 and KRI Selar-879 by Citra Shipyard in Batam took 24 months. The shipyard has built several Indonesian government vessels, such as the Navy Ship (KAL) Sembulungan and KAL Hinako, as well as State Ship (KN) Pulau Nipah-321, KN Pulau Marore-322, and KN Pulau Dana-323.

DISPEN LANTAMAL IV BATAM

The Republic of Indonesia ship (KRI) Selar-879 was launched from the Citra Shipyard shipyard in Batam, Riau Islands, Tuesday (7/5/2024).

Previously, the CEO of PT Citra Shipyard, Jovan, stated that the domestic shipyard industry still requires educated skilled labor. The number of skilled technicians in Indonesia who can create or even just assemble machinery and navigation equipment is still very minimal.

Until now, most shipyards in Batam only focus on ship construction. Meanwhile, the production of navigation and machinery equipment still requires technicians from Germany and Japan. There is hope that a gradual technology transfer can be created.

Also read: Domestic Shipyards Exist, but Lack of Expert Technicians

In addition to KRI Butana-878 and KRI Selar-879, the Indonesian Navy is also currently building six other warships in several shipyards across Kepri, Banten, East Java, and Lampung. The Navy is committed to helping advance the domestic shipbuilding industry.

KOMPAS/PANDU WIYOGA

The Republic of Indonesia's vessel Bung Karno-369 is ready to be launched to sea after being completed at the shipyard of PT Karimun Anugrah Sejati, Batam, Riau Islands, on Wednesday (19/4/2023).

Specifically, Ali mentioned that the Navy also still needs ships larger than 60 meters for patrols in the North Natuna Sea. He hopes that in the future, there will be more domestic shipyards capable of producing larger dimension, better combat power, and high-tech weaponry ships.

In April 2023, shipyard company PT Karimun Anugrah Sejati in Batam completed the construction of KRI Bung Karno-369. In addition to serving as the presidential protocol ship, the 73-meter vessel is also armed with missile guns and equipped with sensors that can detect threats from the air, surface of the sea, and underwater.

Also read: Batam-made Presidential Ship Launched

In addition to PT Citra Shipyard and PT Karimun Anugrah Sejati, PT Bandar Abadi in Batam also once built KRI Teluk Weda-526 and KRI Teluk Wondama-527. Ali hopes that the domestic shipyard industry can become the main reference and be able to compete at a global level.