Indonesian shipbuilder PT Daya Radar Utama (DRU) launched a 120 m-long landing ship tank (LST) for the Indonesian Navy on 1 June at the company’s facilities in Bandar Lampung on the island of Sumatra. Named KRI Teluk Palu (with pennant number 523), Teluk Palu is a narrow bay on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. The shipyard had previously built a similar KRI Teluk Bintuni, which is now in service with the Indonesian Navy as a carrier for the Indonesian Army’s Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks (MBTs).
The landing ship tank (LST) platform, which is powered by two 3,285 kW engines, has a top speed of 16 kt, with a range of about 6,240 n miles at 13 kt. The 16.4 m-wide vessel can carry up to 15 BMP-3F infantry fighting vehicles and a 10-tonne helicopter on its flight deck. The BMP-3Fs are currently operated by the Indonesian Marine Corps. The ship can be equipped with up to two 40 mm gun systems on the foredeck, and 12.7 mm machine guns at various locations throughout the vessel.
Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago nation, consisting of some 17,500 islands, a maritime domain of just under 6 million square kilometers, and a coastline of 81,000 kilometers. The largest regional threat to Indonesia would appear to come from the rise of a territorially ambitious China and its naval buildup.In light of this, the modernization of the Indonesian Navy is an overriding concern of the Ministry of Defense. Hence Indonesia is focusing on building up a nearly 300-ship Navy replete with at least 12 submarines.
