Indonesia conducts first firing of C-705 missile at land target

KRI Sampari , seen here launching the C‑705 missile that struck Pulau Gundul in an April 2026 exercise. (Indonesian Navy)

Indonesia has carried out the first publicly acknowledged firing of a C‑705 anti‑ship missile against a land target, marking a notable expansion in how the country's navy is utilising one of its most widely deployed naval strike weapons.

The firing took place on 23 April during the culmination of the Indonesian Navy's large-scale Joint Naval Operations Exercise 2026, which was held in the Java Sea and waters around the Karimun Jawa islands.

In a statement on 24 April, the Indonesian Navy said its first-of-class Sampari (KCR-60M)-class fast attack craft (FAC) deployed a C‑705 missile against a target on Pulau Gundul, an uninhabited island in the Java Sea.

The missile successfully struck its objective, said the service, which also released a video of the missile hitting a makeshift target on the island.

In a separate live‑fire event during the exercise, Indonesia's SIGMA 10514‑class frigate KRI I Gusti Ngurah Rai fired a French‑built Exocet MM40 Block 3 anti‑ship missile at the decommissioned landing ship tank KRI Teluk Hading.

Teluk Hading, a former East German‑built vessel, was withdrawn from service after suffering fire damage in 2023.

Both missile firings were observed by senior Indonesian military leaders from the hospital ship KRI dr. Radjiman Wedyodiningrat, which served as an afloat command and observation platform during Joint Naval Operations Exercise 2026, the Indonesian Navy said.

The Exocet firing marked Indonesia's first sinking exercise since 2024 and provided a repeat demonstration of a live round being deployed from one of the Indonesian Navy's principal frigates.

Sampari