Construction of Indonesia’s First Scorpène Submarine Begins

A steel-cutting ceremony for the first Scorpène-class submarine took place at the PT PAL shipyard in Surabaya, Indonesia.

The event on August 7 officially launched the construction phase of the submarine as part of the national defense program “Scorpène for the Republic of Indonesia” (SRI), according to European Security & Defence.

The program calls for the construction of two submarines in Indonesia by the local company PT PAL, with a full transfer of technology from the French company Naval Group.

Under the terms of the partnership, the Indonesian shipyard is responsible for hull construction, equipment integration, testing, and final assembly, while the French side provides design and technical support.

The start of construction was preceded by extensive preparation and training of Indonesian specialists in Cherbourg, France, to obtain the necessary certifications.

The history of the Scorpène class of diesel-electric submarines began in the 1990s as a joint project between France’s DCN (now Naval Group) and Spain’s Navantia for the export market.

Submarines of this class are already in service with the navies of Chile, Malaysia, India, and Brazil, having proven themselves to be reliable, low-profile platforms.

The Scorpène Evolved variant being built for Indonesia is approximately 70 meters long, has a submerged displacement of up to 2,000 metric tons, and carries a crew of 31 sailors.

The main feature of the Indonesian submarines is the use of modern lithium-ion batteries, which provide an endurance of over 80 days and high underwater speed.

Its armament includes six bow-mounted 533 mm torpedo tubes capable of firing F21 heavy torpedoes, SM39 Exocet anti-ship missiles, and naval mines.

Key technical specifications of the Scorpène:

Displacement: 2,000 metric tons
Length: 70 meters
Width: 6.2 meters
Maximum speed: 20 knots
Crew: 31
Armament:

• 8 × 533 mm F21 torpedoes
• 30 × naval mines
• SM39 Exocet anti-ship missiles