Turkey Explores Cooperation With RI National Missile Production

Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Muhammad Ali/ANTARA/Genta Tenri Mawangi.

JAKARTA - The Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy (KSAL) Admiral Muhammad Ali revealed the possibility of Turkey working with Indonesia to jointly create anti-ship cruise missiles (missiles) in the country.

The cooperation is believed to be part of the purchase of an ATMACA missile made by Turkish company Rocketsan that modernizes the weapons of Indonesian Navy warships.

This ATMACA missile is quite good too, in the same class as Harpoon, in the same class as Exocet, but made in Turkey, and this is from Turkey which is planned to be willing to cooperate with local products, with local components, later (it) can be expected to become a national missile. But it's still a further discussion, not final," said Admiral Ali as quoted by ANTARA, Seras, a February 6.

In PT PAL's presentation to Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, the state-owned shipyard was likely to install ATMACA missiles on several ships, including for Parchimclass, Fatahillahclass, and FPB-57class. In his presentation, PT PAL said the ATMACA missile had a cruising range of up to 220 kilometers.

Apart from that, Ali said that the Indonesian Navy was still studying which ships would be armed with ATMACA missiles.

"Indeed, there are 41 ships that are planned to carry out refurbishment (modernization, ed.) in stages, but we cannot go directly. We examine, study again which possibilities ATMACA missiles can be placed," said Admiral Ali.

In the same explanation, when Defense Minister Prabowo visited the PT PAL shipyard, the domestic ship manufacturer reported that the progress of the 41 ships reached 40 percent. A total of 25 warships have been repaired.

Several types of ships included in the modernization project include fast patrol boat (FBB) class, Parchimclass, PKRclass, Sigmaclass, Bung Tomoclass, and Corvette Fatahillahclass.

Prabowo, at the same location, also asked the Indonesian Navy to study other ships that also need modernization. "Please review all platforms that we can modernize, we will modernize," said Defense Minister Prabowo to PT PAL.

Several foreign media last month reported that Indonesia through PT Republik Defesindo bought 45 ATMACA missiles from Rocketsan which would later be earmarked for the Indonesian Navy. If the purchase is true, then the Indonesian Navy will become the first foreign user of the Turkish domestically made anti-ship cruise missile product.

So far, the Indonesian Ministry of Defense has not officially announced the purchase of the Turkish-made ATMACA missile.