Indonesia eyes mass production of Piranha torpedo from 2027

PT PAL's Piranha torpedo, as depicted at a presentation in September 2026. (PT PAL)

Indonesian state-owned shipbuilder PT PAL Indonesia has presented plans to begin mass-producing its indigenous Piranha lightweight torpedo in January 2027.

PT PAL presented the plans on 9 September at a seminar organised by the Indonesian Navy submariners' association and the Indonesian Naval Command and Staff College.

Presentation materials from the seminar were provided to Janes by a source who attended the event.

Neither PT PAL nor the Indonesian Ministry of Defence has publicly announced a production contract for the weapon.

In the presentation slides, PT PAL describes the Piranha as a lightweight anti-submarine warfare (ASW) torpedo with a stated range of more than 15 km, a maximum speed of 40 kt, and a 50 kg warhead.

The weapon is presented as an indigenous development effort intended to support Indonesia's ambitions for greater self-reliance in underwater warfare technologies.

In response to questions from Janes, PT PAL described its participation in the seminar as an opportunity to showcase the company's ongoing shift from platform development towards integrated system capabilities.

“In line with this developmental trajectory, PT PAL Indonesia continues to drive the advancement of maritime defence technology through unmanned surface vehicles, autonomous underwater vehicles, and the Piranha torpedo,” PT PAL said.

“The development of these three systems aims to enhance operational capabilities by leveraging unmanned and autonomous technologies, as well as system integration tailored to mission requirements,” the company added.

In October 2025, PT PAL conducted a test firing of the Piranha from its Kapal Selam Otonom (KSOT) autonomous submarine prototype.

The test was attended by Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, who described the firing as an important milestone for the country.