The Indonesian Ministry of Defense has signed a preliminary contract with the representative of Danish Odense Maritime Technology (OMT) to supply two Iver Huitfeldt class frigates within five years at a total cost of $ 720 million. In March 2019 a variant of Denmark’s Iver Huitfeldt class has emerged as a front-runner for the Indonesian Navy’s US$720 million two-frigate acquisition programme for its MEF Phase 3 in 2020-2024. Indonesian officials and Ministry of Defense officials have held multiple meetings about the ships. Odense Maritime Technology has offered a scheme of “transfer of technology” (ToT) to Indonesia, such as modular frigate building designed by PT PAL.
In February 2020, defense delegation from Indonesia visited Denmark, and toured the Niels Juel. The deputy of the Indonesian Ministry of Defense Sakti Wahyu Trenggono said in March that Indonesia’s PT PAL was tasked to develop a design for 2 ships over 5 years, for Rp1.1 trillion (or USD720 million) in collaboration with Denmark, for Indonesian Navy. And on April 30, representatives from the Indonesian Ministry of Defense, PT PAL shipbuilders and PT Sinar Kokoh Persada, an Indonesian agent for the Danish Odense Maritime Technology (OMT) company, had agreed to an opening contract for the procurement of the Danish Frigate.
The Iver Huitfeldt class is a three-ship class of frigates that entered service with the Royal Danish Navy in 2012 and 2013. The class is built on the experience gained from the Absalon-class support ships, and by reusing the basic hull design of the Absalon class the Royal Danish Navy have been able to construct the Iver Huitfeldt class considerably cheaper than comparable ships. The frigates are compatible with the Danish Navy’s StanFlex modular mission payload system used in the Absalons, and are designed with slots for six modules. Each of the four stanflex positions on the missile deck is able to accommodate either the Mark 141 8-cell Harpoon launcher module, or the 12-cell Mark 56 ESSM VLS.
The OMT suggested the type for the Procurement programme of the Royal Australian Navy’s frigates, but built in Australia and modified for anti-submarine warfare. However OMT was not among the three warship designers shortlisted by Australia for the SEA 5000 frigate program in April 2016. The Iver Huitfeldt class frigate was a contender in the Canadian Single Class Surface Combatant Project, but declined to submit bids. The consortium of Babcock International, BMT Group and Thales Group announced the “Arrowhead 140” design, based on the hull of the Iver Huitfeldt frigates, for the Royal Navy Type 31e frigate programme. It was announced on 12 September 2019 that the Arrowhead 140 design had been selected for the Type 31 Frigate.
