Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Defense Ministry announced the purchase of two offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) made by the Italian shipyard Fincantieri.
The two patrol ships, which can be upgraded to multi-purpose frigates (FREMM), are scheduled to arrive in Indonesia in October 2024 and April 2025, respectively, said Brigadier General Edwin Adrian Sumantha, the ministry's Head of the Public Relations Bureau.
He said that the purchase, made on March 28, was part of the defense equipment modernization of the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) to strengthen its ability to protect the country's sovereignty.
"The ship purchase is accompanied by a comprehensive offset (technology transfer) package," Sumantha noted in a statement from his office on Wednesday.
The package includes consultation on shipyard development, long-term business strategy, physical improvements to the shipyard, delivery of didactic material, as well as training courses in Italy for six months.
The technology transfer cooperation also encompasses the management of shipyard modernization assets, management training, simulator training centers, the development of training at Defense University, and the formation of expert teams for the direct and indirect development of opportunities, he elaborated.
"It is hoped that the arrival of these ships will further increase the TNI AL's ability to maintain regional sovereignty and make a significant contribution to regional security and stability," he remarked.
Fincantieri, in its official broadcast on March 28, stated that the contract value for the purchase of the two OPVs reached €1.18 billion (around Rp20.4 trillion).
The company would be the main contractor to connect the Indonesian government with other Italian companies related to the customization of ship weapons systems, including Leonardo for weapons and combat systems customization, as well as logistics services.
Fincantieri stated that their OPVs have a length of 143 meters, a speed of up to 32 knots, a capacity of 170 people, and a cruising range of 5,000 nautical miles.
They are also equipped with the Aster 15 surface-to-air missile (SAM) system along with the DCNS Sylver A43 vertical launcher, a 127 mm Vulcano cannon, a 76 mm Strales cannon, a 25 mm light cannon, and Leonardo's Kronos multifunction radar.
