On 18 December, Indonesia named and launched its first domestically built Merah Putih (Red White)-class frigate, KRI Balaputradewa (322). This marked a major milestone in the country’s naval modernisation and defence-industrial development, with the ship representing the largest principal surface combatant ever constructed in Indonesia.
The vessel is the lead ship of a two-frigate programme, built by state-owned shipbuilder PT PAL Indonesia based on Babcock’s Arrowhead 140 design. Construction of KRI Balaputradewa began with steel cutting in December 2022, followed by keel laying in August 2023.
The frigate is named after Balaputradewa, a 9th-century king of the Srivijaya Kingdom, one of Southeast Asia’s most powerful maritime empires. Centred in Sumatra, Srivijaya dominated regional sea lanes and trade routes across the Malacca Strait and the wider Indian Ocean. This name selection supposedly underscores Indonesia’s long-standing maritime heritage as an archipelagic power.
Indonesia’s Minister of Defence, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, said the launch reflects the nation’s technological progress and is part of the broader ambition to gradually reduce dependence on foreign products. Therefore, he also described the launch as a reflection of Indonesia’s growing ability to modernize its military independently.
Similarly, PT PAL’s CEO, Kaharuddin Djenod, highlighted that the frigate demonstrated the rising quality and competitiveness of Indonesian engineers. He stressed that the Merah Putih programme is not merely about producing two warships but about building long-term national technological capabilities.
As Naval News previously reported, Merah Putih-class frigates are notable for their extensive use of Turkish-made combat systems. The ships will be fitted with, among others, ASELSAN-developed sensors and radar systems, combat management from HAVELSAN, and missiles as well as VLS from ROKETSAN.
This reflects Indonesia’s expanding arms procurement-industrial cooperation with Türkiye, particularly in naval systems.
Next Steps
Following launch, KRI Balaputradewa, like other newly launched warships, will enter an outfitting and systems integration phase before proceeding to harbour and sea trials.
However, no official timeline has been released for when the frigate is expected to be fully commissioned into service with the Indonesian Navy. Similarly, the launch schedule for the second Merah Putih-class frigate has not been revealed.
