Below, the Indonesian Submarine Table (1959 – 2035) has been revised today.
An interesting part of it is why the Soviet Union quickly supplied Indonesia with 12 Whiskey submarines from 1959. In 1949 (after World War Two) the discredited Dutch East Indies colonial government was defeated in the Indonesian War of Independence. But the Dutch still remained in the mineral rich province of Western New Guinea.
Pete
An interesting part of it is why the Soviet Union quickly supplied Indonesia with 12 Whiskey submarines from 1959. In 1949 (after World War Two) the discredited Dutch East Indies colonial government was defeated in the Indonesian War of Independence. But the Dutch still remained in the mineral rich province of Western New Guinea.
It was in Indonesian (we want our country) and Soviet (war against the West) interests to oust the Dutch. This required naval forces, including submarines, for the creation of the indonesian Navy.
Using Soviet financial credit Indonesia “purchased” 12 Whiskey/Tjakra class submarines under the Indonesian-Soviet Union Agreement of 1958. Training of Indonesian crews took place secretly in Poland (1959) and Soviet Vladivostok (1962). The Whiskey subs were delivered to Indonesia between September 1959 and December 1962. Russia also provided the large submarine tender KRI Ratulangi. Many Soviet built surface ships and jet fighters and bombers were also supplied to Indonesia.
In July 1959, the Indonesian government adopted a policy of Confrontation (Konfrontasi) against the Dutch. Indonesia's submarines dropped special forces on vital parts West New Guinea province. The Indonesians also used surface ships and paratrooper drops to fight the Dutch. Politically the United Nations, the US and Australia were very active in putting pressure on the Dutch to decolonise from the province.
Once West New Guinea was liberated in 1962 the cost of maintaining 12 submarines was too great for then new and poor Indonesia. After Indonesia destroyed the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) in 1965 the Soviets were no longer willing to foot most of the cost (including spare parts) of the submarines, ships and aircraft. Also there was no regional submarine arms race - as no other Southeast Asian country could afford submarines. Even China and India had no large submarine forces in the 1950s-60s and Japan no substantial forces until the late 1960s.
So eleven of Indonesia's Whiskeys were scrapped by the 1970s with only KRI Pasopati (410) being put on dry land exhibition in Surabaya.
More on What Indonesia Does With Its Submarines tomorrow.
Indonesian Submarine Table (1959 – 2035) - Revised April 16, 2019
Class/Sub Name/No. | Launched/ Delivered | Details – Comments |
KRI = Ship of Republic of Indonesia | ||
12 from 1959 to scrapping in the 1970s. | Using Soviet (Russian) credit Indonesia “purchased” 12 Whiskey/Tjakra class under Indonesian-Soviet Union agreement of 1958. Subs originally built 1952? by Soviets & delivered to Indonesia Sept 1959 to Dec 1962.Training crews in Poland 1959 & Vladivostok 1962. Maintained by KRI Ratulangi [worth an article!] submarine tender ship esp in 1962. Break with Soviets from 1965 due to Indon treatment of PKI. Led to a spare parts crisis in the Navy. Navy decom some subs for spare parts. All, but (410) scrapped by the 1970s due to ousting Dutch by 1962, no Sov assistance 1965-on, lack of spare parts. | |
first KRI Tjakra (401) | First Whiskey/Tjakra class. | |
Major action & main reason for being of all Whiskey/Tjakra class was liberation of West New Guinea from Dutch in 1962. Russian 1962 delivery crews may have remained in those 6 subs even in W New Guinean waters! | ||
| Delivered Jan 1962 | Scrapped 1970. Former Captain was Manambai Abdulkadir, Deputy Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral of TNI. | |
KRI Tjandrasa (406) | ||
| first KRI Alugoro (407) | Delivered Dec 1962 | |
KRl Tjundamani (408) | Successfully launched an attack on the Dutch forces in Operation TJAKRA II by infiltrating Special Forces on West New Guinea | |
KRI Widjajadanu (409) | ||
KRI Pasopati (410) | decommissioned 25 January 1990. Now a submarine museum in Surabaya. | |
KRI Hendrajala (411) | ||
KRI Bramastra (412) | ||
| 2 x no name Whiskeys | Delivery dates unknown | for spare parts only |
Cakra class | Two sub Cakra class German HDW (now TKMS) built in Kiel. Are Type 209/1300. 8 x 533mm tubes with 14 x AEG torpedoes. SPECIFICATIONS last refurbished 2012.[18] | |
KRI Cakra 401 | SPECIFICATIONS Old at 2019 may be for training only. | |
KRI Nanggala 402 | SPECIFICATIONS Old, still operational 2019. | |
Nagapasa class | 3 submarine contract signed with South Korea's DSME, December 20, 2011. US$1.12 Billion total to build 3 x Improved Chang Bogo class, variants of the Type 209/1400 (beating Russian, French and German bids with better training, offset and logistics package). | |
KRI Nagapasa 403 | Delivered 2017 | 1st Nagapasa |
KRI Ardadedali 404 | 2nd Nagapasa | |
KRI Alugoro 405 | Launched April 11, 2019 Surabaya | 3rd Nagapasa, Commissioned 2019? PT PAL assembled. |
no sub names | US$1 billion contract with DSME signed April 12, 2019 in Bandung, Indonesia, to conclude in late March 2026. for contract with South Korea’s three Type 209/1400 Improved Chang Bogo submarines. | |
" | Probably 2024. | 4th Nagapasa PT PAL to build 2 modules to be sent to Okpo, South Korea (SK) where sub will be assembled with DSME’s 4 modules. |
" | Probably 2025. | 5th Nagapasa PT PAL to build 4 modules to be sent to Okpo SK, to be assmbled with DSME's 2 modules |
" | By 2026. | 6th Nagapasa may be assembled by PT PAL Surabaya, Indonesia. |
Possible 6 more Nagapasas (409 to 414) or New Class likely Type 214s | By 2035 | Possible 6 additional Nagapasa Improved Change Bogos or New Class South Korean DSME designed Type 214s (with AIP). First likely built in South Korea. Final five may be assembled by PT PAL, Surabaya, Indonesia. |
NOTE: Many of the links are in Indonesian. Word for submarine is "kapal selam" ("KS").