Article Posted on : - Aug 31, 2012

JAKARTA (BNS): Indonesia plans to acquire at least 12 submarines by 2024 to achieve a minimum essential force (MEF) for securing its maritime areas, Defence Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, has said.

"Two-thirds of Indonesia`s total geographical area is covered by sea and we need submarines to monitor it. We need more than 10 submarines," Antara news agency quoted Purnomo as saying.

Indonesia is building three submarines in collaboration with South Korea. The joint-production programme will transfer South Korea's technological knowledge of submarines to Indonesia.

The Indonesian Defence Ministry and Daewoo Shipbuilding Marine Engineering (DSME) signed a contract in December 2011 to build three submarines.

One is being built by South Korea and another by state-shipbuilding firm PT Pal in cooperation with South Korea.

Purnomo expressed the hope that by the third, Indonesia would have learned enough about submarines to be able to build on its own.

The submarines will weigh 1,400 tons and be 61.3 meters long. Each will carry up to 40 crew members and have eight tubes for torpedoes and other weapons, according to reports.