KRI Rigel, The Most Advanced Survey Ship In Asia, Becoming The Main Power In Search Of Sriwijaya Air SJ 182

TNI members prepare for the search operation for Sriwijaya Air SJ 182 (Source: Special)

JAKARTA - The National SAR Agency (Basarnas) deployed planes, helicopters, and a number of ships, including KRI Rigel, in the search operation for Sriwijaya Air SJ 182 aircraft. What was the sophistication of KRI Rigel? What are the specifications? What major operations have involved him?

KRI Rigel is a ship that has the specific ability to take three-dimensional images under the sea. Commander of Koarmada I, Rear Admiral Abdul Rasyid, said that KRI Rigel would be focused on capturing various images around the SAR search location.

To perform full covered depth detection, KRI Rigel will use Multibeam Echosounder EM2040 and Side Scan Sonar. The technology is for imaging the fuselage and High Precision Acoustic Positioning (HIPAP) with Frequency A and B.

As for the distribution points so far done around the island of Laki, "... and this is still coordinating with Basarnas ships and other ships at sea," Abdul Rasyid.

The most advanced survey ship in Asia

In general, the KRI Rigel is a ship used by the Indonesian Navy to provide hydro-oceanographic data or sea maps for navigation navigation. KRI Rigel is said to be the most advanced underwater survey vessel in Asia for Auxiliary Hydro-Oceanography (BHO) type.

According to records, KRI Rigel was brought in in collaboration with the Ministry of Defense (Kemenhan) with OCEA France. Apart from being a survey vessel, the KRI Rigel 933 can also be used for military operations. KRI Rigel has submachine weapons caliber 20 millimeters and caliber 12.7 millimeters.

In addition, KRI Rigel is also qualified in SAR activities, as today it was sent to search for Sriwijaya Air SJ 182. Specifically, KRI Rigel is a Multi Purpose Research Vessel (MPRV) type vessel.

KRI Rigel (Source: Commons Wikimedia)

Regarding underwater imaging, KRI Rigel is equipped with Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) equipment. This equipment serves for underwater imaging activities up to a depth of one thousand meters. With this technology, KRI Rigel can also periodically send data back to the main ship, in this case the BHO ship.

KRI Rigel is also equipped with a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), Laser Scaner - to take pictures of the land, Side Scan Sonar, Automatic Weather Station, as well as a deep sea and singlebeam Multibeam Echosounder, to Conductivity Temperature Depth (CTD) equipment, and Gravity Cores.

Physically, KRI Rigel is made of aluminum and weighs 560 tons. KRI Rigel is 60.1 meters long and 11.5 meters wide.

Search for Lion Air JT 610

Previously, KRI Rigel belonging to the Indonesian Navy's Hydrographic and Oceanographic Center (Pushidrosal) was also an important force in the evacuation of the Lion Air JT 610 plane that crashed in Karawang waters, October 29 2018. In addition to evacuation, KRI Rigel was also deployed to search for black boxes. Lion Air JT 610.

At that time, KRI Rigel performed a full covered depth detection using Multibeam Echosounder EM2040 technology and Side Scan Sonar. This technology is used to image the fuselage and High Precision Acoustic Positioning (HIPAP) with frequencies A and B.

Apart from KRI Rigel, the authorities at that time also involved other fleets, for example the KN and SAR Basudewa Jakarta, the Baruna Jaya Ship, and the Pertamina Ship. The entire fleet was deployed in the first priority area.

Meanwhile, for the second priority area, the search was carried out by 15 ships from Basarnas, the Ministry of Transportation, Polair, KPLP, as well as Customs. The area of the search at that time was determined to be 124.3197 nautical miles with the first priority area of 62 nautical miles.