Welcome aboard: A number of the KRI Nenggala’s crew members stand on the ship’s deck as it arrives at the Navy's Eastern Fleet (Koarmatim) headquarters in Surabaya, East Java on Monday. The submarine just underwent an overhaul at the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in Okpo, South Korea. (Photo: Antara/M Risyal Hidayat)

February 6 2012, Surabaya: The capabilities of Indonesian submarines are now on par with those fielded by neighboring countries after undergoing an overhaul in South Korea, Navy chief of staff Adm. Soeparno said Monday.

He was speaking at a ceremony welcoming the return of KRI Nanggala 402, which had been undergoing an overhaul process for the past 24 months by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) in Busan, South Korea.

Made in 1981 by German shipbuilder Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft in Kiel, the Type 209/1300 KRI Nanggala was the second submarine after being overhauled at DSME facilities after KRI Cakra 401 was overhauled in 2006.

“With the completion of the overhaul, now the capabilities of our submarines are on par with submarines deployed by our neighbors,” Soeparno told reporters after the ceremony at the Navy Eastern Fleet Command pier in Surabaya.

Malaysia has two French-made Scorpene class submarines. Singapore operates four Challenger-class submarines and two Archer-class submarines that were acquired from the Swedish Navy. Australia operates six Collins-class submarines that were built under cooperation with Sweden. Australia will modernize its submarine fleet by building 12 new larger submarines still in cooperation with Sweden. Vietnam will begin to receive four Russian-made Kilo class submarines from 2015.

During the overhaul process, KRI Nanggala was undergoing a retrofit, including replacing the upper structure from bow to stern, some parts of the propulsion system, sonar, radar, weapons system and combat management system (CMS).

KRI Nanggala can now submerge to a depth of 257-meters with a top speed of 25 knots, increasing from 21.5 knots.

Commanded by Lt. Col. Purwanto, the submarine has a complement of 50 personnel, including a special force unit for infiltration.

The implementation of the latest CMS allows the submarine to simultaneously fire four wire-guided surface underwater torpedoes (SUTs) in a salvo at four different targets. The 1,395-ton submarine can also fire eight torpedoes at the same time if needed. The CMS upgrade also allows the submarine to launch sub-missiles at surface or air targets.

“There are several types of missiles that can be launched, including Harpoon, Exocet, SUT or other types,” said Col. Tunggul Suropati, former taskforce chief from the Cakra-Nanggala overhaul in South Korea.

The Defense Ministry and DSME had signed a contract to procure three submarines worth about US$1.1 billion. The first two submarines will be manufactured in Busan, while the third at state shipyard PT PAL facilities in Surabaya through a transfer-of-technology mechanism. Indonesian engineers will also be involved in the production of the first two submarines.

Source: the Jakarta Post

RI Navy's Submarine Returning From S Korea After Repair

KRI Nanggala-402. (Photo: Kaskus)

February 5 2012, Jakarta: The Indonesian Navy's submarine "KRI Nanggala-402" has arrived in Indonesian waters after undergoing a comprehensive repair for two years in South Korea, an navy officer said.

"KRI Nanggala which is expected to dock at Ujung Surabaya pier of the Navy's Eastern Fleet Command on Monday has probably arrived in Java Sea," the Navy's Spokesman Commodore Untung Soropati said here on Sunday.

He said KRI Nanggala will officially be welcomed by Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Soeparno and Chairman of the House of Representatives (DPR)'s Commission I Mahfudz Siddiq.

Like 'KRI Cakra-401', KRI Nanggala also underwent a total repair at South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, Okpo.

The return of KRI Nanggala-402, a German made submarine, type U-209/1300 built in 1981, will reinforce the combat fleet of the country's Navy as a submarine arsenal along with KRI Cakri-401.

Source: Antara Bali

Tanks for sale but nobody can have them

Leopard 2. (Photo: KMW)

January 31 2012: But what the government wants to earn snapping the sale of old Armament. Only properly to those countries that want our tanks, the Chamber will not lose them.

Overcome Sales Tanks

Dust to dust flies next to a rolling Leopard 2A6 main battle tank on a picture in a brochure of Defense. For 119 of these tanks is the cabinet-like Rutte euros cheer. Potential buyers have already been reported, but it's not that simple. Take Indonesia. Both under the cheese cover and in the country's 245 million inhabitants, this debate erupted.

The Jungle

What should an archipelago with many jungles with such heavy tanks - a tank weighs as much as fifty Volkswagen Golfs - MPs want to know. Even more worrying our MPs to human rights. Papuans, the original inhabitants of New Guinea, should it suffer. Late last year were twelve deaths and hundreds of people arrested in riots. According to human rights organizations are still sentences to 20 years imprisonment, based on old Dutch colonial laws. To include SP, PvdA and Christian Union GroenLinks reason not to sell tanks. The PVV see that in a country where 86 percent is Muslim, not sitting.

But where should it go Dutch cast-offs? For years, saw no objection Netherlands to deliver tanks to Saudi Arabia and armored vehicles to Egypt and Bahrain, but now sees a majority in Parliament that would not sit. And even in countries like Yemen and Turkmenistan are "pretty strong reservations.

No wonder, because on 14 February, exactly a year ago that the Netherlands embarrassed by images of vehicles in the uprisings of the Arab Spring that suspiciously resembled the old Dutch Band radios. In response to parliamentary questions from Green MP Arjan El Fassed, was Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal recognize that the Netherlands' surplus defense materiel has repeatedly delivered to Bahrain. "There were also 35 M-113 and 25-YPR armored vehicles to" know the VVD minister.

Large Supplier

"In Egypt, when Maspero incident where in October of 27 deaths, tracked vehicles are used," says Christian Union MP CU. Fat chance that there were in our cast-offs. Netherlands are large supplier of armored tracked vehicles. Alone to Egypt between 1996 and 2006 there were over a thousand sold. Together with the Dutch treasury Bahrain Egypt spekte above 200 million euros.

The same amount would now Indonesia for the tanks have been reserved. And those pennies can Defence Minister Hans Hillen, who must cut 1 billion euros, or use it, even put a CDA-minister his "morality" for the side. PvdA MP Martijn van Dam, who was unsuccessfully attempted delivery of tanks to Egypt to stop: "The countries that want to buy tanks, we do not give. Look at the countries which we have made, there are few democratic countries. "

Source: Depers