In order to strengthen the submarine force and increase the position of the Indonesian Navy in the region, the country has started a program to assemble domestic submarines in 2017. And the Nagapasa class was born. This can be seen as an improvement from North Korea’s Jang Bogo class.
Currently the Indonesian navy owns three Nagapasa class submarines, and is expected to build three more. When the project is completed, Indonesia will become one of the most numerous submarine forces in the region.
Each Nagapasa class submarine has a displacement of 1,400 tons, a length of 61.3 meters, a beam of 6.3 meters, and a draft of 5.5 meters. It is powered by four MTU 12V493 diesel generators with a capacity of 5,000 hp. The Nagapasa class can reach a maximum surface speed of 11 knots, and 21.5 knots when submerged, a maximum surface range of 20,000 km, and a continuous operating time at sea is 50 days.
Theoretically, Nagapasa-class submarines are capable of diving as deep as 500 meters. If this is true, it will be the deepest diving submarine in the Asia-Pacific region. Nagapasa class submarines are equipped with 8 533mm torpedo tubes, carrying 14 Black Shark torpedoes.
The newest Nagapasa of the Indonesian Navy, named Alugoro, with number 405 has just entered service since March 2021. With a complex terrain, many different large and small islands, the Indonesian navy really needs to develop a further submarine force, to be able to ensure the overall coverage of their waters.
