Indo Defence 2022: Indonesian company discloses details of country's new MCMVs

A model of the new MCMV that is being built by for the Indonesian Navy, on display at Indo Defence 2022. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)

A local representative of Abeking & Rasmussen in Indonesia has disclosed further details of the two new mine countermeasure vessels (MCMVs) that are on order for the Indonesian Navy.

The Indonesian government signed a contract with Abeking & Rasmussen to design and construct two MCMVs in January 2019. A steel-cutting ceremony for the programme was held in November 2020, and the first vessel, Pulau Fani , was launched in October 2022.

Speaking to Janes at the Indo Defence 2022 exhibition in Jakarta, held from 2 to 5 November, a representative from Abeking & Rasmussen's local agent, PT Agrapana Nugraha Katara, described the Pulau Fani class as one that derives its main hull form from the German shipyard's MHV60 design.

The vessel has an overall length of 61.4 m, a breadth of 11.1 m, and a design draft of 3.3 m. The main hull has been constructed out of non-magnetic steel, said Mashuri Ishak, the proprietor of PT Agrapana, in response to questions from Janes at the exhibition.

“The most important aspect of the new vessel is that it will be a mother ship for unmanned mine countermeasure systems,” said Mashuri, who also disclosed that the Pulau Fani-class MCMVs will each be equipped with two unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), and these will be carried on-deck in the vessel's aft section.

The USVs both feature Abeking and Rasmussen's SWATH (Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull) design, which promises more stable operations especially in inclement weather conditions.