Indonesia is undergoing a quick and efficient submarine expansion program. Indonesia has 2 aging German built Type 209s, 2 South Korean new build 209s and 1 209 built in Indonesia (see Table below). Three more 209s are being jointly built by South Korea and Indonesia with delivery to the Indonesian Navy by around 2026. That totals 8 209s by 2026.
Some naval, political and industrial factions in Indonesia understandably see a need for a total of 12 submarines to defend Indonesia’s huge archipelagic sea space. Twelve also happens to equal the number of 12 future submarines planned by Indonesia’s southern neighbour Australia for the Australian Navy. Indonesia’s healthy economic growth (just over 5% a year) can afford it. Indonesia is forecast to have the world’s fourth largest economy by 2030.
Indonesia appears to have a requirement beyond 2024 for 4 (to make up 12) or 6 more submarines (to make up 12 owing to any replacement of Indonesia’s 2 aging "Cakra" 209s (delivered in 1981)). Janes advises Turkey's ship and submarine builder STM [with German backing] gave a presentation to the Indonesian Navy on 12 February 2019. This was to market German designed Turkish built 209s and Type 214s submarines to the Indonesian Navy.
Type 214 submarines feature air independent propulsion (AIP) technology allowing them to remain fully submerged longer than the plain diesel electric (only) submarines that Australia envisages for the future Attack class. In that sense Indonesian Type 214 submarines would be regionally superior to Australia’s current and future submarines. Australian submarines have poorer fully submerged performance than submarines with AIP or Lithium-ion Battery technology because our current and future submarines will lack those technologies.
Germany appears to be supporting Turkey’s bid to export submarines to Indonesia. In 2011 a joint German/Turkish bid to sell 209s to Indonesia had been unable to compete with South Korea (which had 209 export rights) to export 209s. Anonymous advises this would have caused some German resentment.
Now in 2019 a German (TKMS)/Turkish (STM) bid to sell 4 Turkish built 209s would still be likely to be outbid by South Korea’s technology transfers, continuity of supply and soft loans all effectively meaning a cheaper price and benefits for Indonesian industry.
However if Germany/Turkey instead managed to sell Turkish built 214s to Indonesia Germany/Turkey would have a complete advantage over South Korea. This is because Germany has given Turkey rights to export 214s while South Korea has been given no such rights.
Indonesia, with the last of 8 209s to be received by 2026, may want to receive the first of 4 x 214s by 2027. This may mean Indonesia would need to secure a 214 contract with Turkey in 2021-2022.
So by 2030 Indonesia may have 12 submarines possibly including 4 regionally superior Type 214s with AIP and perhaps 2 more 214s by 2032. 2030 will be a year that Australia will still only have 6 aging (hence regionally inferior) Collins class submarines. According to current schedules (likely to slip) Australia will be operating its first Attack class submarine only by 2035. However having no AIP nor Lithium-ion batteries Australia’s Attack class will be inferior to the Type 214s of Australia’s nearest submarine neighbour and strategic competitor, Indonesia.
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Indonesian Submarine Table (1981 – 2035)
Class/Sub Name/No. | Launched/ Delivered | Details – Comments |
KRI = Ship of Republic of Indonesia. | ||
Cakra class Type 209s | Two sub Cakra class German HDW (now TKMS) built in Kiel. Are Type 209/1300s. 8 x 533mm tubes with 14 x AEG torpedoes. Specs last refurbished 2012.[18] | |
KRI Cakra 401 | Specs Old at 2019 may be for training only. | |
KRI Nanggala 402 | ||
Nagapasa class – Batch 1 of Type 209s | 3 submarine contract signed with South Korea's DSME, December 20, 2011. US$1.12 Billion total to build 3 x Improved Chang Bogo Type 209 variants of the Type 209/1400 (beating Russian, French and German/Turkish bids with greater South Korean technology transfer and soft loans) | |
KRI Nagapasa 403 | Delivered 2017 | 1st Nagapasa |
KRI Ardadedali 404 | 2nd Nagapasa | |
KRI Alugoro 405 | 3rd Nagapasa, Commissioned 2019? PT PAL assembled. | |
Nagapasa class – Batch 2 of Type 209s no submarine names so far, ie: | 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 submarines. | |
KRI ????????? 406 | 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. |
KRI ????????? 407 | Probably 2025. | |
KRI ????????? 408 | By 2026. | |
Possible 4 to 6 more Nagapasa Type 209s (409 to 414) OR 4 to 6 Type 214s (409 to 414) | By 2030 | Possible 4 to 6 (with the 2 aging Cakras retiring) future Nagapasa Type 209s. First likely built in South Korea. Final 3 or 5 may be assembled by PT PAL, Surabaya, Indonesia. OR German designed, Turkish built Type 214s (with AIP) |
Pete