Chess Dynamics secures sensor contract for Indonesian frigates

One of the Indonesian Navy's Bung Tomo-class frigate KRI John Lie , which will be fitted with the SeaEagle. (US Marine Corps)

British defence technology company Chess Dynamics has been awarded a GBP3 million (USD4 million) contract to supply fire-control systems for the Indonesian Navy's Bung Tomo-class frigates.

The contract was awarded by Indonesian state-owned defence electronics firm PT Len, Chess Dynamics said on 28 October.

Under the contract, Chess Dynamics will deliver its SeaEagle fire-control electro-optical systems to two vessels in the class.

The company did not name the ships, but these are likely to be KRI Bung Tomo and KRI John Lie, based on upgrade timelines associated with the class.

The first vessel in the class to undergo modernisation was KRI Usman Harun, as Dutch marine systems integrator Nevesbu confirmed in a 2023 statement.

Chess Dynamics said it secured an initial order for the first ship in the class in 2023. The latest order extends the planned SeaEagle upgrade across all three ships in the class.

The Bung Tomo class comprises three multirole light frigates originally constructed as corvettes for the Royal Brunei Navy by Yarrow Shipbuilders under a 1995 agreement.

However, the vessels were never commissioned by Brunei due to a contractual dispute. The warships were subsequently acquired by Indonesia and formally re-designated as frigates upon entering service in 2014.

The class displaces about 2,000 tonnes at full load and has an overall length of 95 m and a beam of approximately 13 m.

Weapons on the class include the Oto Melara 76/62 Super Rapid naval gun, MSI-Defence 30 mm guns, and 324 mm triple-tube torpedo launchers.

Modernisation of the class has involved two main areas, with separate prime contractors.