Ridzwan Rahmat, Singapore - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly 
An artist's rendering of the OSVs being acquired by the Indonesian Navy. Source: OCEA SA
The Indonesian Navy (Tentera Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Laut, or TNI-AL) has ordered two new 60 m offshore support vessels (OSVs) from French shipbuilder OCEA SA, said the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on 26 June.
Rachmad Lubis, head of the MoD's Defence Facilities Agency, told reporters that the contract, worth USD100 million, was signed in October 2013 following negotiations between French and Indonesian government representatives.
"We had a South Korean firm participating in the tender. However, after reviewing the capabilities needed including technology that will go on board the vessels, we decided to acquire the boats from the French company instead," said Lubis, during a visit to the shipyard at Les Sables d'Olonne where the OSVs are being built.
The TNI-AL plans to deploy the vessels, which will be armed with one 20 mm and two 12.7 mm guns, primarily for maritime surveillance and oceanographic purposes. "The vessels will fulfil a capability gap ... in mapping our underwater terrain," said Lubis, noting that Indonesia's underwater topographical data required updating and adding that data retrieved by the vessels will be critical in supporting TNI-AL defence-related tasks.
According to manufacturer specifications, the 500-tonne OSVs have a top speed of 16 kt and can accommodate 30 crew and six embarked personnel.
No information was available on the vessels' suite of hydrographic and oceanographic equipment. However Colonel Budi Purwanto, who heads the TNI-AL's oceanographic and hydrographic office, told reporters that the vessels will be equipped with sensors that can map underwater terrain up to a depth of 6,000 m. Col Purwanto also indicated that the OSVs will be equipped with anti-submarine warfare capabilities, although no further details were provided.
A group of TNI-AL personnel is scheduled to arrive in Les Sables d'Olonne in July 2014 for five weeks of training and vessel familiarisation.
The first OSV is scheduled for delivery in January 2015, with the second expected to be inducted by September 2015.
COMMENT
The OSVs' acquisition suggests that the TNI-AL is stepping-up efforts to map the underwater terrain of the vast Indonesian archipelago, perhaps to improve its underwater fighting capabilities.
The TNI-AL fleet currently includes two Cakra Type 209/1300-class submarines; commissioned in 1981, the operational status of these boats is unknown. The induction of several more modern submarines into its fleet, including three Chang Bogo-class diesel-electric submarines that are scheduled for delivery by 2018, will prescribe a more comprehensive understanding of underwater topography by the navy.
An artist's rendering of the OSVs being acquired by the Indonesian Navy. Source: OCEA SAThe Indonesian Navy (Tentera Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Laut, or TNI-AL) has ordered two new 60 m offshore support vessels (OSVs) from French shipbuilder OCEA SA, said the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on 26 June.
Rachmad Lubis, head of the MoD's Defence Facilities Agency, told reporters that the contract, worth USD100 million, was signed in October 2013 following negotiations between French and Indonesian government representatives.
"We had a South Korean firm participating in the tender. However, after reviewing the capabilities needed including technology that will go on board the vessels, we decided to acquire the boats from the French company instead," said Lubis, during a visit to the shipyard at Les Sables d'Olonne where the OSVs are being built.
The TNI-AL plans to deploy the vessels, which will be armed with one 20 mm and two 12.7 mm guns, primarily for maritime surveillance and oceanographic purposes. "The vessels will fulfil a capability gap ... in mapping our underwater terrain," said Lubis, noting that Indonesia's underwater topographical data required updating and adding that data retrieved by the vessels will be critical in supporting TNI-AL defence-related tasks.
According to manufacturer specifications, the 500-tonne OSVs have a top speed of 16 kt and can accommodate 30 crew and six embarked personnel.
No information was available on the vessels' suite of hydrographic and oceanographic equipment. However Colonel Budi Purwanto, who heads the TNI-AL's oceanographic and hydrographic office, told reporters that the vessels will be equipped with sensors that can map underwater terrain up to a depth of 6,000 m. Col Purwanto also indicated that the OSVs will be equipped with anti-submarine warfare capabilities, although no further details were provided.
A group of TNI-AL personnel is scheduled to arrive in Les Sables d'Olonne in July 2014 for five weeks of training and vessel familiarisation.
The first OSV is scheduled for delivery in January 2015, with the second expected to be inducted by September 2015.
COMMENT
The OSVs' acquisition suggests that the TNI-AL is stepping-up efforts to map the underwater terrain of the vast Indonesian archipelago, perhaps to improve its underwater fighting capabilities.
The TNI-AL fleet currently includes two Cakra Type 209/1300-class submarines; commissioned in 1981, the operational status of these boats is unknown. The induction of several more modern submarines into its fleet, including three Chang Bogo-class diesel-electric submarines that are scheduled for delivery by 2018, will prescribe a more comprehensive understanding of underwater topography by the navy.
★ Janes
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