Turkiye has recently elevated its role in the modernisation efforts of the Indonesian Navy by becoming a supplier of platforms, weaponry, and sensors.
Indonesia’s recent signing of a contract with TAIS Shipyards to acquire two I-class frigates and the presence of Turkish systems on Merah Putih-class frigates are developments rendering Turkiye with a bigger role in the Indonesian Navy’s large-scale modernisation efforts.
These are not only important from the perspective of Turkish-Indonesian defence cooperation, but also the Turkish naval industry reaching a new level by becoming an active exporter of systems and platforms.
Export Debut of the I-class Frigates
The contract signed during IDEF25, covering the construction of two I-class frigates with TAIS Shipyards as the builder, marks the first officially announced export contract for Turkiye’s first indigenously designed multi-purpose frigate.
The equipment’s outline has not been made. Still, it is assumed that there will not be a considerable divergence from the standard loadout, which consists of CENK 400-N AESA searching radar, 16-cell MİDLAS VLS, 16 ATMACA anti-ship missiles, and GÖKDENİZ 100/35/StA CIWS.
While there have been reports regarding the option of transferring two frigates from the Turkish Navy to the Indonesian Navy, it is important to underline there have been no official statement from either side on this matter.
The first ship of the I-class, TCG İstanbul (F-515), has test-fired the HİSAR-D RF air defence missile not too long after its commissioning. More missiles like SİPER Block 1 long-range air defence missile and ATMACA anti-ship missile are planned for MİDLAS in the near term.
Prior to I-class, its predecessor in the MİLGEM line Ada-class corvette, has been exported to Pakistan, Ukraine, and Malaysia in different configurations.
Merah Putih-class frigates, which will consist of two ships like the I-class acquisition, are considerably larger as they are based on the Arrowhead 140 design of Damen. The ships are intended as a backbone in the combatant fleet, thanks to their larger size, to accommodate more potent sensors and firepower.
The ships to be built in Indonesia are set to use the following Turkish systems:
-ASELSAN’s CENK 350-N Multi-Function AESA Radar (X-band, 250 km range, four fixed radars)
-CENK 400-N AESA Searching Radar (S-band, 400 km range)
-CENK 200-N Searching Radar (X-band, 100 km range, for helicopter control)
-AKREP 300-N Fire Control Radar
-64-cell ROKETSAN MİDLAS VLS (HİSAR-D RF, SİPER Block 1, ATMACA)
While Turkiye has already been providing sensor and weapon systems to various export customers, this is the first time Turkiye is supplying its higher end and relatively newer systems for a foreign ship.
Author: Kaan Azman
Editor:Özgür Ekşi
