Article Posted on : - Apr 17, 2019

Indonesia's Nagapasa-class submarine. (Photo: Internet)

SEOUL/JAKARTA (BNS): South Korean defence company Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) has bagged a deal worth US$1.02 billion to build three 1,400-ton conventional attack submarines for Indonesian Navy.

A contract in this regard was signed on April 12 between DSME and the Indonesian Government in Bandung, West Java, South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced.

It is the second such submarine export deal between the two countries, following a 2011 contract worth US$1.08 billion to export three 1,400-ton submarines to the Southeast Asian country, Yonhap, South Korea’s official news agency, said.

Under that contract, DSME delivered the first Nagapasa-class submarine to Indonesia in August 2017 while the second platform was delivered last year.

Indonesian shipbuilder PT PAL, which built the third submarine of the class with technological assistance from the South Korean firm under technology transfer clause, launched it on April 11, according to media reports.

Each Nagapasa-class multi-role submarine is capable of carrying anti-ship missiles, torpedoes and mines. It has an operational range of 11,000 nautical miles and endurance of about 50 days.   

Indonesia has announced its plans to acquire at least 12 conventional submarines (SSKs) by 2024 to achieve a minimum essential force (MEF) to secure its maritime regions.