Indonesian shipbuilder PT PAL Indonesia showcased its in-house developed Combat Management System (CMS) and three models of counter-drone systems during Indo Defence 2025. The CMS will soon be installed on Indonesian Warships.
PT PAL’s General Manager for Sensor, Weapon, and Command (SEWACO), Enjud Darojat, told Naval News that the CMS has been in development for the past three years with support from an undisclosed “external strategic partner(s)”. He added that the CMS will first be installed and tested on Indonesian Navy’s (TNI AL) existing small surface combatants, such as the 57-metre Fast Patrol Boats (FPB-57).
To note, the FPB-57 was originally designed by German shipbuilder Lürssen Werft and produced under license by PT PAL for TNI AL.
Enjud, who previously served in the Indonesian Navy, emphasized that the CMS is fully developed in-house and that PT PAL has complete access to its source code, enabling full customization to meet various operational requirements and customer needs.
In parallel with the CMS, PT PAL also revealed three models of counter-drone systems: a high-energy laser system, a handheld laser gun, and a high-power microwave emitter.
Enjud said that the containerized microwave emitter is powerful enough to damage electronic components; therefore, it could also target enemy communication equipment and missiles.
According to PT PAL, the development of the CMS and counter-drone systems aligns with the government’s directive for Indonesian defence companies to broaden their portfolios. For PT PAL, this means moving beyond traditional shipbuilding into higher-value domains, such as sensors and weapons, which can offer a greater profit margin than hull construction alone.
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This is not the first instance of Indonesia developing an indigenous CMS. Another state-owned defence company, PT LEN Indonesia, has been producing its own CMS, known as ‘Mandhala’, which has been in service since at least 2014 and installed on several TNI AL’s warships, including a 57-metre Patrol Craft-Torpedo (PCT) KRI Ajak (653) and two Van Speijk/Leander-class frigates KRI Yos Sudarso (353) and KRI Oswald Siahaan (354).
PT LEN has also supplied the CMS for TNI AL’s Naval Gunnery Firing Range in Probolinggo, East Java, where it is integrated with OTO Melara 76 mm and Leonardo Twin 40L70 Compact guns.
In a press release issued a week after the expo, PT PAL CEO Kaharuddin Djenod stated that the company’s newly developed CMS can be ‘combined’ with PT LEN’s Mandhala system and could be employed not only by TNI AL but also adapted for use by the Indonesian Army and Air Force.
