Asia Defense | Security | Southeast Asia

While fleet size is an important measure of operational capacity, a lot depends on how effectively new platforms are equipped, operated, and integrated.

Indonesia has just become the fifth navy in Asia to operate an aircraft carrier, marking a new phase in the development of its maritime power. This milestone came on September 24, when the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) officially commissioned KRI Sriwijaya-100, formerly ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi of the Italian Navy, as its first aircraft carrier. This acquisition complements the TNI AL’s ongoing fleet expansion through surface combatant acquisitions and modern submarine construction, which are gradually extending its operational reach and options. However, while fleet size and tonnage are important measures of operational capacity and endurance, naval strength also depends on how effectively these platforms are equipped, operated, and integrated.

This requirement is particularly relevant given Indonesia’s geographic position and status as an archipelagic state connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans. According to the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Jakarta has approximately 6.4 million square kilometers of maritime territory. Its waters accommodate three Indonesian Archipelagic Sea Lanes and lie near several strategic shipping routes. The United States Energy Information Administration reported that the Strait of Malacca, the most important of these shipping lanes, carried approximately 23.2 million barrels of oil per day in the first half of 2025, amount equivalent to 29 percent of global seaborne oil trade. The scale of Indonesia’s maritime territory and the significance of these shipping routes require the TNI AL to maintain sufficient operational reach, readiness, and a sustained presence across multiple areas.

These demands have become increasingly complex as the maritime security environment has evolved to encompass both traditional and nontraditional threats. Beyond maritime disputes, piracy, smuggling, and illegal fishing, technological developments have expanded the scope of naval operations via unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned surface vessels, and unmanned underwater vehicles, which are used to carry out surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike operations. Advances in long-range missiles, electronic warfare, and cyber capabilities also present new challenges to warships and critical maritime infrastructure. These developments require greater preparedness for scenarios ranging from gray zone activities to high-intensity conflict, supported by increasingly integrated detection, protection, and response capabilities.

To address these challenges, the TNI AL has continued to strengthen its fleet through the procurement of several warships and the start of construction programs aimed at expanding surface and underwater capabilities. The introduction of KRI Brawijaya-320 and KRI Prabu Siliwangi-321, two multi-role Pattugliatore Polivalente d’Altura (PPA) combatants originally built for the Italian Navy before being acquired by Indonesia, brings flexibility across various sorts of maritime missions. Meanwhile, the construction of the Merah Putih frigates by PT PAL in Surabaya has created vessels with integrated combat management systems, radars, and weapons, while strengthening the domestic shipbuilding industry. In the underwater domain, the construction of two Scorpène Evolved submarines through cooperation between PT PAL and France’s Naval Group has further expanded Jakarta’s capabilities. Beyond incorporating lithium-ion batteries and the SUBTICS combat management system, the programs support domestic expertise in submarine construction. Together, these programs reflect efforts to strengthen the TNI AL through naval platforms, combat systems, and defense industrial capacity.

Nevertheless, the PPA acquisition also highlights the challenges of translating platform modernization into complete combat capability. KRI Brawijaya and KRI Prabu Siliwangi were delivered with modern radar systems and a 127mm main gun under their Light+ configuration. Although designed to accommodate Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles and Teseo Mk-2E surface-to-surface anti-ship missiles, both vessels were delivered under a Fitted-For-But-Not-With arrangement, without the missile complement required to realize their intended air-defense and anti-surface warfare capabilities. The TNI AL has outlined plans to upgrade both vessels to the Full configuration, including potential missile integration at domestic shipyards. While phased procurement offers flexibility, full combat readiness still depends on subsequent contracts, funding, and weapons integration. This highlights the importance of coordinating platform and weapons procurement to ensure that fleet expansion translates into the required operational capabilities.

Interestingly, of the Merah Putih frigates, the first ship, KRI Balaputradewa, has been fitted with Aselsan radar and should be equipped with Turkish missiles. Meanwhile, the Scorpène Evolved contract includes the capability to launch Exocet SM39 anti-ship missiles, indicating that weapons integration has been incorporated from the start. The lessons from these programs and the PPAs confirm that platform effectiveness is heavily dependent on continuity across weapons procurement, installation, and testing to ensure that the vessels achieve the operational readiness required by the TNI AL.

The need to align platform development with operational capabilities becomes even more relevant with the arrival of KRI Sriwijaya-100, which introduces a new dimension to the TNI AL’s operations. Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Ali explained that the carrier’s initial concept of operations would focus on military operations other than war, particularly disaster response and humanitarian assistance, primarily using helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Should KRI Sriwijaya-100’s role eventually expand into less permissive environments, the readiness of other surface combatants will become increasingly important. A carrier strike group relies not only on the aircraft carrier and its air wing, but also on escort vessels capable of providing air defense, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare (ASW), alongside electronic warfare, command, and logistical support. These elements must operate in coordination to protect the carrier and maintain the strike group’s effectiveness. In this context, the weapons limitations identified in the PPA’s initial configuration become particularly relevant. Escort vessels require more than provisions for future weapons installation, as effective protection depends on operational sensors, weapons, munitions, and communication systems that are available and fully integrated.

The importance of integrated capabilities also extends beyond combat operations. For Jakarta, a fleet capable of sustained deployment across various missions would also support defense diplomacy through joint exercises, multinational operations, and maritime security cooperation. Such activities require effective information-sharing, compatible communications, operational coordination, and adequate logistical support to enable vessels from different countries to operate together. The TNI AL’s credibility as a maritime security and defense partner therefore depends not only on the number or size of its platforms, but also on fleet readiness and its ability to contribute effectively to joint operations.

A similar approach can be observed in modern frigate programs pursued by several European countries, including France, Greece, and Sweden. With a displacement of approximately 4,500 tones, these frigate designs integrate full three-dimensional warfare suites (anti-air, anti-submarine, and anti-surface warfare) designed specifically for high end, high intensity conflict. Beyond that, they feature dedicated, electronic warfare suites, cyber hardening, and defenses against asymmetric threats like uncrewed aerial and surface systems. Although weapons configurations differ between countries, this approach demonstrates that modern naval capabilities depend not merely on tonnage, but also on the completeness and integration of combat systems.

For Indonesia, this provides a relevant reference for ensuring that fleet expansion delivers vessels with layered defense capabilities, allied and partner interoperability, and the operational readiness to support naval task groups and regional maritime security. Crucially, it also highlights why magazine depth and weapons and sensors capacities matter in an era where long-range precision and saturation strikes have become the norm, making endurance and blue-water reach far more essential than purely littoral-focused designs.

Ultimately, the arrival of KRI Sriwijaya-100, along with surface combatant procurement and the construction of modern surface ships and submarines, mark an important step in the expansion of Jakarta’s maritime capabilities. However, the strategic value of these investments will depend on whether the acquired and domestically built platforms can operate with complete combat systems, trained personnel, and sustained maintenance and logistical support. The ability to integrate these elements across defense operations, maritime security, and humanitarian missions will be an important measure of the TNI AL’s contribution to regional stability. Indonesia’s progress towards a greater naval role in Southeast Asia will therefore be measured not only by fleet size and tonnage, but also by its ability to conduct operations effectively and sustainably.