20 APRIL 2021

Indonesia engages German, Turkish firms to customise frigate design

by Ridzwan Rahmat

Indonesian state-owned shipbuilder PT PAL has engaged German naval consultancy, MTG Marinetechnik, and Turkish engineering firm FIGES AS, to customise the design of a new frigate class that it will be constructing for the Indonesian Navy.


PT PAL has engaged consultants to customise a derivative of Denmark’s Iver Huitfeldt frigate, of which the first-of-class is seen here, for Indonesian Navy requirements. (Guy Toremans)

According to a statement released by the defence ministry on 31 March, the frigate design is one that has been offered by Babcock, which implies that the design consultancy services pertain to the Indonesian Navy’s (Tentara Nasional Indonesia – Angkatan Laut: TNI-AL’s) follow-on Martadinata-class frigates. As Janes reported in March 2021, the Arrowhead 140 concept from a consortium led by Babcock is one of the candidates that Indonesia is considering as follow-on ships to the Martadinata class.

However, Janes has since verified with a source close to the process that Marinetechnik and FIGES are instead assisting PT PAL with the TNI-AL’s contract for a variant of the Iver Huitfeldt class, the contract for which was signed in April 2020.

The Iver Huitfeldt class displaces 6,600 tonnes at full load, and is powered by four MTU 20V 8000 M70 diesel engines in a combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) configuration, giving it a top speed of about 28 kt. Weapons on the vessel include a 76 mm Oto Melara gun in the forward section, a 35 mm Millennium Gun close-in weapon system (CIWS) in the aft section, and vertical launching system (VLS) modules for anti-air and surface missiles amidships.

Janes understands that Marinetechnik and FIGES are customising a derivative design of the class for TNI-AL requirements, and will be recommending a suite of sensors, weapons, and other combat systems for the frigate.

RSAF's Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft now fully operational

Lim Min Zhang
PUBLISHED APR 20, 2021, 5:00 PM SGT



SINGAPORE - The Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF) next-generation A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) is now fully operational, able to carry out missions such as transporting personnel across large distances and extending the range of fighter jets.

Other than refuelling RSAF's F-16 and F-15SG fighters in mid-air, it can also refuel another MRTT, enabling the refuelled A330 to travel further or stay in the air longer on a single flight.

The MRTT is also now ready for aeromedical operations, including in the event of mass casualty evacuations or the transfer of patients with infectious diseases such as Ebola.

With the flexibility to be configured for different operations, the MRTT is meant to improve the Singapore Armed Forces' ability to take part in international humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions or peace support operations.

On Tuesday (April 20), a ceremony to mark the MRTT attaining full operational capability status was held at Changi Air Base (East), where the 112 Squadron, which operates the MRTTs, is located.

At the ceremony, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said that the MRTT marks another step up in efforts to extend the range of RSAF's planes.

rebel group killed a school teacher then burned down 3 schools in the region

Prabowo: Now It Is Urgent, We Must Modernize The Defense Equipment Faster

22 Apr 2021 15:32


DOK ANTARA / Prabowo Subianto

JAKARTA - Minister of Defense (Menhan) Prabowo Subianto emphasized the urgent situation to accelerate the modernization of the main weapon system (alutsista). The acceleration of defense equipment modernization is related to the loss of KRI Nanggala-402.

"Now we urge us to modernize our defense equipment even more quickly and we are sure, I am sure, that in the near future we can modernize our equipment for the three dimensions land, sea and air," said Prabowo at a press conference with the TNI Commander, Thursday, April 22.

Prabowo emphasized that the modernization of defense equipment is a priority. According to him, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has ordered the preparation of a master plan to ensure the strength of national defense.

"(Compilation) of the master plan (span of) 25 years which gives us a totality of defense capabilities, we are currently finalizing. We are working on it, we are working on it, God willing, in 2-3 weeks we will complete it together with the TNI Commander and the Chief of Staff and we will convey it to the President, "he said.

Prabowo admitted that efforts to improve the welfare of TNI members are difficult to go hand in hand with the modernization of defense equipment. But the rejuvenation of defense equipment is encouraged to be prioritized.

"We are currently formulating the management of defense equipment procurement to be more orderly, more efficient. But we do need to rejuvenate our defense equipment. Many of our defense equipment are indeed due to compulsion and because we prioritize the development of our welfare, we have not modernized it faster, "added Prabowo.

Prabowo also mentioned the procurement of 3 new submarines from South Korea. Currently the submarine is being tested.

"Indeed, we plan to add more submarines, but I want to always underline, let alone the problem of this submarine operation, this is one in the whole world, is an operation or a field of warfare which is the most complex, the most difficult, and the most dangerous," said Prabowo.

Can't understand why keep on using Nanggala. They should start the decommissioning process, when KRI 403 was commissioned. I think TNI-AL gets too attached to Cakra and Nanggala after using them for 40 years.

Does Indonesia have any submarine rescue vessels?

Given the number of submarines it has in service and more on the procurement pipeline, I'm wondering whether it already has submarine rescue vessels in service or whether they have one on order.

Berdasarkan sumber yang dapat dipercaya, Kementerian Pertahanan telah mengalokasikan anggaran USD 87 juta (Rp 1,2 triliun) untuk pengadaan satu submarine rescue vehicle systems pada periode anggaran 2020-2024.

Unfortunately no but budget for a Submarine Rescue Vessel have been approved. Surely with this incident it will be a priority.

FA-50 is comparable to Yak-130, Hawk etc...

JF-17 is more like earlier blocks of F-16

So, I bet LTZ is looking forward to trying to torpedo HMS QE?
FA-50 with the Elbit radar is at least equal to Jf-17

FA-50 is not a good aircraft, no where close to JF-17 Block 2.

Never buy weapon from a country that is not super power and rely in third party to supply engine, avionics. Buy only from US

Budget issue go for J-10C. Else F/A-18E/F. Forget overpriced Rafale with expensive maintenance

So, I bet LTZ is looking forward to trying to torpedo HMS QE?
FA-50 with the Elbit radar is at least equal to Jf-17

So, I bet LTZ is looking forward to trying to torpedo HMS QE?
FA-50 with the Elbit radar is at least equal to Jf-17

You have to pay attention to which variants you are comparing

JF-17 Block 2 and FA-50 are roughly equivalent at the very least; same goes for the JF-17 Block 3 and FA-50 Block 20
Why not? If you buy FA-50 you are indirectly buying US

And the major NATO countries have some good equipment, many in use also by the US. And in the aerospace field, it's always a bad idea to not take Saab into consideration
Not sure about Rafale per se, but France has a long history of selling good miltech for low value, I would not dismiss them out of hand like that

Buy Chinese products to curb Chinese expansionism? "Brilliant" idea...

You buy FA-50, you buy from US via middleman resulting in double markup being more expensive. When comes to war, South Korea is not super power and they won't dare to deliver goods to your doorstep if situation is deadly. You buy from US, Russia or China, their shipment will still deliver whether they have to wade through battlefield.

French weapons were used to be good alternative if you cannot get American or Russian back then in 60's, 70's but today they are nothing more than overpriced unreliable impractical junks that only look good on paper like pijot.

MY and China aren't enemy. If MY at war with SG, it is US that will place embargo on MY. This is why MY buy weapons from US, Russia and now China. If either 1 doesn't work, we get another as backup.

French is part of NATO US allies, refer Falklands war where Argentine operated US & French equipment being placed on embargo by US for fighting British invaders, numbers of Argentine weapons in despair due to no spare parts. Iraq in 1989 had numbers of relatively new French weapons, they all failed against US weapons while Russian weapons that managed to do at least some killing.

You buy FA-50, you buy from US via middleman resulting in double markup being more expensive. When comes to war, South Korea is not super power and they won't dare to deliver goods to your doorstep if situation is deadly. You buy from US, Russia or China, their shipment will still deliver whether they have to wade through battlefield.

French weapons were used to be good alternative if you cannot get American or Russian back then in 60's, 70's but today they are nothing more than overpriced unreliable impractical junks that only look good on paper like pijot.

MY and China aren't enemy. If MY at war with SG, it is US that will place embargo on MY. This is why MY buy weapons from US, Russia and now China. If either 1 doesn't work, we get another as backup.

French is part of NATO US allies, refer Falklands war where Argentine operated US & French equipment being placed on embargo by US for fighting British invaders, numbers of Argentine weapons in despair due to no spare parts. Iraq in 1989 had numbers of relatively new French weapons, they all failed against US weapons while Russian weapons that managed to do at least some killing.