13-9-2023 (JAKARTA) Indonesia’s defence ministry announced on Wednesday (Sep 13) that it has finalized a deal to purchase a submarine rescue vessel for US$100 million from a British company. This acquisition is part of the country’s ongoing efforts to modernize its aging military equipment.
The agreement was signed between the defence ministry’s partner, PT BTI Indo Tekno, vessel producer Submarine Manufacturing & Products, and Houlder. The signing took place on Tuesday during a defence expo in London.
This purchase adds to a series of significant military acquisitions by Indonesia that have garnered attention. These include the procurement of 42 Dassault Rafale fighter jets for US$8.1 billion, 12 new drones from Turkish Aerospace valued at $300 million, and 12 used Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets worth US$800 million.
In July, President Joko Widodo cautioned his cabinet to maintain a “healthy” budget as he highlighted the substantial spending by the country’s security agencies, including the defence ministry. Indonesia has allocated 134.3 trillion rupiah (US$8.74 billion) this year for defence, the largest allocation in its state budget.
The British-made submarine rescue vessel is specifically designed for swift rescue operations and has a capacity for 50 people. It can also be transported by aircraft. The vessel will be delivered alongside its mothership, according to the defence ministry.
Indonesia had been without a dedicated rescue vessel after one of its five submarines sank during a torpedo drill in the Bali Sea in 2021, resulting in the tragic loss of 53 crew members.
“This is part of Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto’s mission to enhance the capability of the Indonesian navy,” stated the defence ministry in a released statement.
Over the past decade, Indonesia’s defence spending per capita and as a percentage of gross domestic product has consistently been the lowest among the six emerging market economies in Southeast Asia, as per data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) think tank.
Indonesian MoD @Kemhan_RI announced that on September 1, it signed a contract to buy @SMPLtd SRV-F MK3 and a submarine rescue mothership with a dedicated decompression chamber
The system will be operated by @_TNIAL_ Submarine Operations Command
????via @Kemhan_RI pic.twitter.com/JYdVOWyFU9
— JATOSINT (@Jatosint) September 10, 2023
