PT PAL Indonesia cuts steel for first Scorpène submarine

Published Aug 10, 04:05 PM UTC

On 7 August 2026, PT PAL Indonesia held a steel-cutting ceremony at its Surabaya shipyard, officially commencing construction of Indonesia's first Scorpène Evolved submarine. This milestone follows a March 2024 contract between PT PAL and France's Naval Group for two submarines equipped with lithium-ion batteries. Under the industrial partnership, PT PAL handles hull construction, integration, and delivery, while Naval Group provides design, engineering support, and a permanent technical team in Surabaya. Indonesian engineers completed training in Cherbourg, France. The Scorpène Evolved submarines measure 72 meters, displace 1,600-2,000 tons surfaced, and feature the SUBTICS combat management system with six weapon tubes and 18-weapon payload. They offer over 12 days of submerged endurance and 240+ days annual operational availability. The program supports Indonesia's defense self-sufficiency goals and is expected to generate thousands of skilled jobs. This is part of broader Indonesia-France defense cooperation formalized in 2021-2022.