Defense Minister lauds planned export of warships

Batam ♼ Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro welcomed on Friday the plan by a local shipyard to export warships to neighboring countries after supplying the Indonesian Navy.

“We have received reports that this company will export warships to neighboring countries. This will be good for the domestic defense industry,” he said, referring to PT Palindo Marine Shipyard Batam (PMSB).

Purnomo was speaking at the launch of three naval vessels at Batu Ampar Cargo Port in Batam, Riau Islands.

The vessels, built by PT PMSB, included a KCR 40 fast missile craft, named KRI Alamang 644, and two PC 28 fast patrol boats, named KAL Bireun II-1-63 and KAL Kumai I-6-58.

KRI Alamang 644 is the fourth KCR 40 made by PT PMSB after it previously delivered the KRI Clurit-641, KRI Kujang-642 and KRI Beladau-643.

The 238-ton KCR 40 is 44 meters long with a beam of 8 meters. It cost Rp 73 billion (US$5.97 million) excluding the weapons systems and was financed by the 2012 State Budget.

The ship carries one 30-mm and two 20-mm cannon on the bow as well as two sets of Chinese made C-705 anti-ship missiles.

The two PC 28s were financed by the 2013 State Budget at a cost of Rp 63 billion. The boats are built of marine aluminum and have complements of 15 personnel with a top speed of 29 knots. They have a length of 28.5 meters and a beam of 5.85 meters.

“These [vessels] are the products of Indonesian workers. We at the Defense Industry Policy Committee [KKIP] will always promote the domestic defense industry,” Purnomo said.

KKIP was established in 2010 to revitalize the domestic defense industry, both state-owned and privately run, to support national defense.

Also attending the ceremony were the People’s Consultative Assembly Deputy Speaker Ahmad Farhan Hamid, the Navy chief of staff Adm. Marsetio, Riau Islands Governor Muhammad Sani as well as a number of high-ranking officers from the Navy and Defense Ministry.

Farhan said the domestic defense industry had already supplied major weapons systems to other countries although most of these was for land-based systems.

“I notice the quality of the vessels is getting better, this shows the state support for the domestic defense industry is significant in the development of local industry,” he said.

“Hopefully this policy will be maintained by the next president.”

Meanwhile, PT PMSB director, Harmanto, evaded questions on which countries were ordering warships from his shipyard.

“That will have to wait for later. I cannot talk about that yet,” he said on the sidelines of the ceremony.

PT PMSB has 20 years’ experience building various vessels such as passenger ferries and crew launches. The KCR 40 is the first type it has built for the Navy.

Bank Mandiri director Abdul Rahman said the domestic defense industry had grown significantly in the past few years and that his bank had allocated loans to support the financing of local defense companies.

“We are preparing Rp 10 trillion to finance the domestic defense industry,” he said.

On Wednesday, state-owned shipbuilder PT PAL Indonesia launched the larger KCR 60 fast missile ships, the first of three units ordered.

With a displacement of 460 tons, the KCR 60 has a complement of 55 personnel.

  ♞ Jakarta Post