Indonesia Gets Multipurpose Research Vessel from France
The Indonesian Navy has taken delivery of a French-made KRI Rigel 933 multipurpose research vessel at Jakarta International Container Terminal 2, Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, Jakarta Post reported.
The ship was delivered from the OCEA Les Sables d'Olonne shipyard in France.
Navy chief of staff Adm Ade Supandi said it is hoped the vessel would be sufficient to meet the need for ships to update our navigation data and to research sea depth, topography and salinity.
He added that the vessel was expected to be used for the government’s annual program to update its sea map, especially with coastal reclamation going on in various areas.
The underwater surveillance warships procurement was part of the government's program to modernize Indonesian Military's primary weapon defense system (Alutsista). The second ship is set to dock at Indonesian harbor in October.
However, Ade shortstopped to confirm the budget for the current procurement, as saying that the new ships were purchased through a multi-year scheme. A high-ranking Navy official revealed that the cost of a warship unit is Rp 500 billion (around US$38.5 million).
The vessel is the first of two new vessels ordered under contract by the Defence Ministry from French shipbuilder OCEA SA in October 2013. The second vessel is slated to be finished in July or August, Ade said.
The Regel 933, which the Navy claims is the most technologically advanced vessel in Asia, is part of the Navy’s modernization attempt for its hydro-oceanographic survey vessel lineup in the next five years.
The ship will also be assigned for search and rescue missions because it comes equipped with an AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle) to take underwater images up to a depth of 1,000 meters and send data periodically.
The new ship is also equipped with remotely operated vehicle (ROV) or an underwater drone equipped with mechanic arms to provide visual information and take samples from the bottom of the ocean.
