Indonesia bolsters strategic sealift command with third Teluk Bintuni-class LST

The Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Laut: TNI-AL) has taken delivery of a third Teluk Bintuni-class landing ship tank (LST), further bolstering a long-standing effort to improve the mobility of Indonesia's armoured units.

The vessel, KRI Teluk Youtefa (522), was handed over by shipbuilder PT Daya Radar Utama (DRU) on 12 July and commissioned into the TNI-AL's strategic sealift command on the same day.

The LST is part of a contract for three landing vessels that was awarded to PT DRU in January 2017. Steel for all three vessels were cut in April 2017, and Teluk Youtefa was launched in May 2019.

The three LSTs are follow-on ships to KRI Teluk Bintuni and KRI Teluk Lada, both of which were commissioned in June 2015 and February 2019, respectively.

The Teluk Bintuni class has an overall length of 117 m, an overall beam of 18, and a draught of 3 m. It is powered by two 4,320 kW diesel engines, and has a top speed of 16 kt, a cruising speed of 14.8 kt, and an economical speed of 13.6 kt. The vessel has an endurance of 20 days, a maximum range of 7,200 n miles at its economical speed.

In terms of payload, each Teluk Bintuni-class vessel can accommodate up to 10 Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks (MBTs) or up to 15 BMP-3F infantry fighting vehicles. In addition to this main payload, the LST can also accommodate one armoured vehicle-launched bridge and two helicopters.

Each vessel can also accommodate up to four crane-deployed landing craft for vehicle and personnel (LCVP).