On 2 July 2025 the handover ceremony of the first of two multi-purpose combat ship (MPCS) KRI Brawijaya into the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) was held at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Muggiano (La Spezia). The ceremony was attended by Admiral Muhammad Ali, Chief of the Indonesian Navy (Kasal), H.E. Professor Junimart Girsang, the Indonesian Ambassador to the Republic of Italy, Admiral Enrico Credendino, Chief of the Italian Navy, Admiral Giacinto Ottaviani, National Armaments Director and Mr Biagio Mazzotta, Chairman of Fincantieri.
Navy Colonel (P) John David Nalasakti Sondakh was inaugurated as the Commanding Officer of Brawijaya. The ship will be an Escort Ship Unit of Fleet Command II (Koarmada II).
In his speech, Admiral Ali said “the presence of KRI Brawijaya is part of the realisation of the priority program of TNI AL development, namely modernisation of defence equipment and efforts to fulfil the needs of Alpalhankam and strengthening capabilities in the field of defence, especially anti-surface ship warfare.”
Brawijaya was originally built for the Italian Navy as the fifth of the Thaon class offshore patrol vessels, the Marcantonio Colonna. The ship completed sea trials in July 2023 and she and the Ruggiero di Lauria were sold to Indonesia in March 2024. Brawijaya’s sister ship, KRI Prabu Siliwangi will be handed over in December 2025.
The MPCS class are 6,500 tonne ships, with a length of 143 metres and powered by a combined diesel/gas turbine propulsion with a top speed of 31 knots. The ship’s complement is 171. The armament for Italian service was one 127mm, one 76mm and two 25mm guns along with two 8-cell VLS for Aster or Scalp Naval missiles. The ships have two helicopter hangars. The ships’ armaments will be fully fitted out in Indonesia.
Sources: TNI-AL & Fincantieri
