PT PAL expects contract for third and fourth Red White frigates in 2026

Indonesia's first Red White frigate, seen here undergoing fitting out at PT PAL's facilities in Surabaya. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)

PT PAL expects a procurement contract for Indonesia's third and fourth Red White frigates to be signed in 2026, the company's CEO Kaharuddin Djenod told Janes in a recent interview.

The follow-on vessels will retain the form factor of the first two Red White frigates but are designed to accommodate enhanced combat capabilities, Djenod said.

“It will not have more than 64 VLS [vertical launching system] cells as that's the maximum for this design,” he said. “But each of the cells and venting systems in the VLS can potentially accommodate larger missile types.”

This approach would allow the Indonesian Navy to enhance the class's overall combat effect without increasing the number of launch cells.

Indonesia's Red White frigate programme is based on Babcock's Arrowhead 140 design, although PT PAL has modified the baseline configuration to meet Indonesian Navy requirements.

Among these changes is the integration of a denser missile fit than that carried by the Royal Navy's Type 31 frigates, which are also based on the Arrowhead 140 design.

These modifications were undertaken by PT PAL, with the vessels being built to Lloyd's Register classification standards.

Beyond the overall hull form, the third and fourth ships are expected to retain the dimensions, propulsion arrangement, and general combat-system architecture of the first two frigates, Djenod said.

Indonesia launched the first Red White frigate, the future KRI Balaputradewa, at PT PAL's shipyard in Surabaya on 18 December 2025.

The class displaces approximately 5,996 tonnes at full load and measures 140 m in length.