On 30 October the Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff (Kasal) Admiral TNI Dr. Muhammad Ali accompanied the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Indonesia, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin witnessed the launch and test firing of the Autonomous Submarine (KSOT) torpedo at Koarmada II, Surabaya.
The test was an important milestone in the development of underwater defence technology created by the domestic defence industry produced by PT PAL Indonesia. KSOT is a strategic innovation developed on the mandate of the Ministry of Defence (Kemhan) to present an unmanned defence system with high strike effects. This submarine is designed to provide “a fast, efficient, and effective solution in strengthening Indonesia’s maritime combat capabilities, while also complementing the fleet of manned submarines already owned by the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL).”
The Indonesian Minister of Defence said that the TNI-AL and PT PAL will continue to conduct refinement evaluations so that this product can be improved and will also be more useful in its use. “This is the hard work of all of us. This is a 100% Indonesian design,” concluded the Minister of Defence.
Furthermore, the Minister of Defence stated that Indonesia is the fourth country in the world to produce Autonomous Submarines or KSOT after America, Russia, and China. “This is our pride that the nation’s children can produce defence equipment that is on par with global countries in the field of military technology,” said the Indonesian Minister of Defence.
The TNI-AL media release said “The implementation of the KSOT trial is a clear proof of the progress of the national defence industry in presenting modern maritime technology that supports the independence and combat readiness of Indonesia’s defence under the sea. On this occasion, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto directly followed the planning process and implementation of the trial through communication technology from Jakarta. In addition, also present in person at this activity were the Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, General Agus Subiyanto, President Director of PT PAL Indonesia, Kaharuddin Djenod, and other invited guests.”
Source: Indonesian Naval Information Service.
