Indonesia begins naval OPV procurement

The Indonesian Navy has begun soliciting proposals from local shipyards as part of a programme to procure a new class of offshore patrol vessels (OPVs).

The new warships are expected to be more lightly armed than the navy’s larger surface combatants but will offer greater operational flexibility compared to the service’s smaller patrol boats.

The Indonesian government is set to allocate an estimated Rp1.09 trillion (US$78.72 million) for the procurement. Senior navy officials have meanwhile requested Rp4.68 trillion (US$340 million) to cover an initial acquisition of four vessels.