PT PAL Indonesia To Launch Submarine Infrastructure In September

PT PAL Indonesia, a state-owned shipbuilding company, plans to launch the facility to build submarines in September this year, which will be the first in Southeast Asia.

The director of design and technology, Saiful Anwar, told Antara News last week that the facility would be used to meet the target of building 12 submarines ordered by the defense ministry.

Currently, PT PAL is cooperating with South Korea to build three submarines which is serving as a training ground for Indonesian human resources. A total of 206 workers would undergo training in South Korea and until now 130 of them have already finished, Anwar said.

Of the three submarines, one plans to be assembled fully by the Indonesian workers while the fourth and the rest will be fully built by Indonesia, he said.

"In September 2016 the building for submarine production will be completed and in December 2016 a number of equipment will come along with the submarine ordered from South Korea for assembling here," he said.

Saiful said he hoped with the availability of the submarine infrastructure, Indonesia will be able to develop its potential especially in the maritime sector and build by itself a submarine in the future.

"A submarine building technology is the highest level of shipbuilding technology because of the method of regulating balance being applied there when the ship sinks and surfaces," he added.