Surabaya: Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin has confirmed that Indonesia will soon produce 30 autonomous, or unmanned, submarines (KSOT) to guard “choke points” throughout Indonesian waters. Speaking at the Indonesian Navy Fleet II Command Pier in Surabaya, Sjafrie outlined the plan following a technical evaluation conducted with the National Armed Forces (TNI) Commander, Navy Chief of Staff, and the Director of PT PAL, a state-owned shipbuilding and engineering company.
According to Lao News Agency, the Defence Ministry has reported the initiative to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who has urged the project’s success. The minister, alongside senior officials from the Defence Ministry and the Indonesian TNI, observed the test launch of a training torpedo from the autonomous submarine’s launch slot, displayed at the pier.
The autonomous submarines are small in size and unmanned, powered by electric motors, and currently navigate using internet signals. Sjafrie noted that these unmanned submarines offer various efficiencies in personnel, materials, and time, adding a strategic advantage for Indonesia in protecting its territorial waters.
At present, the autonomous submarine, identified with hull number KSOT-008, is designed to launch torpedoes powered by electric motors, though not lethal ones. PT PAL officials indicated that both combat and autonomous capabilities will be enhanced in future phases of this strategic development program.
