12 April 2019

Indonesia launches first locally assembled submarine

by Ridzwan Rahmat

Alugoro , seen here at its launch ceremony on 11 April 2019. (Indonesian Ministry of Defence)

Indonesian shipbuilder PT PAL has launched the country’s third Nagapasa (Type 209/1400)-class diesel-electric submarine (SSK).

The vessel, which will be in service as KRI Alugoro (405) once commissioned, was launched on 11 April at PT PAL’s Semarang Dock in Surabaya Indonesia.

While third-in-class overall, Alugoro is the first-ever submarine to be assembled in Indonesia. Its assembly was done in collaboration with engineers from South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) as part of a technology transfer programme.

As reported by Jane’s on multiple occasions, Alugoro was originally scheduled to be launched at PT PAL’s purpose-built submarine launch facility along Jalan Letnan Supriadi as early as October 2018. However, the location was found to have become too shallow owing to sedimentary deposits.

The submarine was subsequently transferred to the company’s Semarang Dock, located about 750 m away, via a 300-foot intermediary barge in March 2019. This is the same location where PT PAL has launched larger naval ships, such as the Philippine Navy’s strategic sealift vessels (SSVs).

Alugoro is part of a KRW1.3 trillion (USD1.2 billion) contract signed between DSME and the Indonesian Ministry of Defence in December 2011 for three SSKs. The vessel derives its design from the Republic of Korea Navy’s (RoKN’s) Chang Bogo-class boats.

First-of-class KRI Nagapasa (403) was commissioned in August 2017, while second boat, Ardadedali (404), was handed over to the Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia – Angkatan Laut: TNI-AL) in 2018.

Alugoro , seen here at its launch ceremony on 11 April 2019. (Indonesian Ministry o...

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