Indonesia, France begin construction of two Scorpène submarines ahead of schedule
Friday, July 3 2026 - 07:57 AM WIB
State-owned shipbuilder PT PAL Indonesia and French defense contractor Naval Group have begun construction of two Scorpène-class submarines, with the project entering the steel-cutting phase two months ahead of schedule.
The companies launched the steel-cutting phase in July, ahead of the original September target, after PT PAL completed the qualification process required for submarine construction, the company said in a statement on Thursday.
PT PAL Production Director Diana Rosa said the qualification verified that the company's workforce, manufacturing processes, production facilities and quality control systems met international standards for submarine construction.
"This program is a long-term investment to strengthen the capabilities of Indonesian engineers, reinforce the national defense industry and develop a high-tech manufacturing ecosystem capable of competing globally," Diana said.
She said the successful qualification reflected the progress of an ongoing technology transfer program, which has expanded the expertise of Indonesian engineers in high-precision manufacturing.
As part of the cooperation, PT PAL sent dozens of engineers to Naval Group's facilities in France for training in advanced welding, structural engineering, mechanical and electrical systems, and quality assurance. The engineers later applied the skills during qualification trials under the supervision of Naval Group specialists.
Naval Group Program Director Vincent Vimont said the successful evaluation demonstrated PT PAL's readiness to become a strategic partner in advanced naval manufacturing.
"This collaboration is not just about building two submarines, but about laying the foundation for sustainable industrial capabilities," Vimont said.
The submarine program is based on a contract signed in 2024 between Indonesia's Ministry of Defense, Naval Group and PT PAL to build two Scorpène-class submarines with displacements of between 1,800 and 2,800 tonnes.
Under the technology transfer agreement, the submarines will be built and assembled in Indonesia by Indonesian engineers.
PT PAL said the project is expected to strengthen its domestic submarine-building capabilities and support Indonesia's long-term goal of independently producing submarines.
The company added that the program is expected to create more than 2,000 jobs while increasing the participation of domestic companies in Indonesia's defense supply chain.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak