Bung Tomo-class corvette

The Bung Tomo class is a class of three Indonesian multi role patrol corvettes. They were originally built for the Royal Brunei Navy and named Nakhoda Ragam-class corvettes but were ultimately bought by Indonesia and renamed.[6] The class is named after Bung Tomo, a noted leader of Indonesia's independence movement.

KRI Bung Tomo (357) & KRI Usman Harun (359)
Class overview
Builders: BAE Systems Marine
Operators:
Preceded by: Diponegoro-class corvette
Built: 1998 - 2002 [1]
In commission: 2014 - present
Completed: 3
Active: 3
General characteristics
Type: F2000 corvette
Displacement: 1,940 tonnes
Length: 89.9 m (295 ft) LWL, 95 m (312 ft) LOA
Beam: 12.8 m (42 ft)
Draught: 3.6 m (12 ft)
Propulsion:
Speed: 30 knots (56 km/h)[2]
Range: 5,000 nautical miles (9,000 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)[3]
Complement: 79 (room for an additional 24)
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • Ultra Electronics/Radamec Series 2500 electro-optic weapons director.
  • Thales Underwater Systems TMS 4130C1 hull-mounted sonar.
  • BAE Systems Insyte AWS-9 E- and F-band air and surface 3D radar.
  • BAE Insyte 1802SW I/J-band radar trackers.
  • Kelvin Hughes Type 1007 navigation radar.
  • Thales Nederland Scout radar for surface search.[3]
  • Thales Sensors Cutlass 242 countermeasures.[3]
Armament:
Aircraft carried: 1 x Eurocopter AS565 Panther[5]
Aviation facilities: Flightdeck, no hangar

Background

The three vessels were built by BAE Systems Marine (now BAE Systems Maritime - Naval Ships). The contract was awarded to GEC-Marconi in 1995 and the ships, a variant of the F2000 design, were launched in January 2001, June 2001 and June 2002 at the then BAE Systems Marine yard at Scotstoun, Glasgow. The customer refused to accept the vessels and the contract dispute became the subject of arbitration. When the dispute was settled in favour of BAE Systems, the vessels were handed over to Royal Brunei Technical Services in June 2007.[7]

In 2007, Brunei contracted the German Lürssen shipyard to find a new customer for the three ships; in November 2012, it was announced that Indonesia had signed a memorandum of understanding with Britain to acquire the vessels for one-fifth of the original unit cost. The ships are now in service with the Indonesian Navy.

The ships were originally armed with MBDA Exocet Block II anti-ship missiles and MBDA Seawolf air defence missiles. The main gun is an Oto Melara 76 mm; the ship also carries two torpedo tubes, two 30 mm remote weapon stations and has a landing spot for a helicopter. As 2018 the MBDA Seawolf missile was out of service due to expired and there was plan to replace it with VL Mica [8]

Operational history

In late December 2014, KRI Bung Tomo was involved in search and recovery operations of the Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 which crashed off the Java Sea between the islands of Belitung and Borneo.[9] Later in early January 2015, KRI Usman Harun was deployed to search for the black boxes as the ship is equipped with the Thales Underwater Systems TMS 4130C1 hull-mounted sonar.[10][11]

Ships of the class

KRI Bung Tomo is named after Sutomo, the leader of Indonesian guerrillas during the Battle of Surabaya. The naming of KRI John Lie memorializes the first Chinese Indonesian to be honored as National Hero of Indonesia, who was also one of the first high ranking navy commanders during the Indonesian National Revolution. The naming of KRI Usman-Harun memorializes Harun Said and Osman Hj Mohd Ali, who were executed by Singapore after the MacDonald House bombing, creating a controversy between the two nations.[12]

Number Pennant Number Name Builder Launched Commissioned Status
1 357 (30) KRI Bung Tomo (ex KDB Jerambak) BAE Systems Marine, Scotstoun 22 June 2002[13] 11 July 2014 [14] Commissioned
2 358 (28) KRI John Lie (ex KDB Nakhoda Ragam) BAE Systems Marine, Scotstoun 13 January 2001[15] 18 July 2014 [14] Commissioned
3 359 (29) KRI Usman-Harun (ex KDB Bendahara Sakam) BAE Systems Marine, Scotstoun 23 June 2001[16] 18 July 2014 Commissioned

Naming controversy

Singaporean Minister for Foreign Affairs, K Shanmugam has expressed concern to Jakarta about a Bung Tomo-class corvette, the KRI Usman Harun, being named after two Indonesian marines (Usman and Harun) who set off a bomb in Singapore during the Konfrontasi in the 1960s.

In response to media queries on Indonesian press reports on the naming of the frigate, the KRI Usman Harun, after the two Indonesian marines, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman said: “The two Indonesian marines were found guilty of the bombing which killed three people and injured 33 others. Singapore had considered this difficult chapter in the bilateral relationship closed in May 1973 when then-PM Lee Kuan Yew visited and scattered flowers on the graves of the two marines.

“Minister for Foreign Affairs K Shanmugam spoke to Indonesian Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Marty Natalegawa to register Singapore’s concerns over the naming of the navy ship and the impact this would have on the feelings of Singaporeans, especially the families of the victims.”

All three corvettes docked at James Fisher Marine Services Barrow, Barrow-in-Furness, United Kingdom
The Indonesian Navy corvette KRI John Lie (358) lines up for a combined gunnery exercise behind the U.S. Navy littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS-3).

The Indonesian marines, Usman Hj Mohd Ali and Harun Said, were convicted and executed in Singapore for the bombing of MacDonald House on March 10, 1965.

Modernisation

On 10 March 2020 in Jakarta, Len Industri and Thales signed a contract for the complete modernisation of the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) KRI Usman-Harun multi-role light frigate’s mission system, witnessed by King Willem Alexander of the Netherlands and Minister of Trade Agus Suparmanto. This upgrade for the KRI Usman-Harun is expected to be completed by the end of 2023, and it will considerably extend the life of the frigate.[17]

The combination of rigour, experience, and local excellence was a winning formula. In addition, the systems’ commonality with those on other Indonesian ships would reduce training time and facilitate management and maintenance. An ambitious final specification was drawn up, including Thales’s latest-generation TACTICOS Combat Management System, SMART-S Mk2 3D and STIR 1.2 EO Mk2 radars, a Vigile Mk2 ESM, and two new tactical data links – Link Y Mk2 and a tactical data link that will be wholly delivered by PT Len, providing connectivity to Indonesia’s military communications network and enabling the corvette to play its full part in wider naval task forces. Existing weaponry will also be fully integrated, and a new VL MICA surface-to-air missile system added – a significant boost for vessel self-defence.[18][19]

See also

References
  1. http://www.military-today.com/navy/bung_tomo_class.htm
  2. "Ruston's RK270 Engines Power Offshore Patrol Vessels". Maritime News. 2001-10-01. Archived from the original on 2013-01-28. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
  3. "Nakhoda Ragam Class Offshore Patrol Vessels, Brunei". Naval Technology. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
  4. https://defence.pk/pdf/attachments/screenshot_2019-10-01-05-38-37-1-png.581846/
  5. Ridzwan Rahmat. "Indonesian Navy to equip Bung Tomo corvettes with Panther ASW helicopters". www.janes.com. Archived from the original on November 10, 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  6. "Former TNI-AD chief of staff calls for ban on Singapore warships entering Indonesian waters". www.janes.com. Archived from the original on February 25, 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
  7. "Shipyard deadlock ends". September 2007 News. Ships Monthly. September 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-12-21. Retrieved 2007-12-26.
  8. "Nakhoda Ragam Class Offshore Patrol Vessel". Industry Projects. Naval Technology. Retrieved 2007-12-26.
  9. "KRI Bung Tomo Berhasil Angkat Enam Jenazah Diduga Korban AirAsia QZ8501" (in Indonesian). December 30, 2014.
  10. "Indonesia Deploys Controversial KRI Usman Harun to QZ8501 Search Site". TheRealSingapore.com. 4 January 2015. Archived from the original on 4 January 2015.
  11. "Indonesia deploys controversial KRI Usman Harun for AirAsia plane search". Channel NewsAsia. Archived from the original on January 4, 2015.
  12. Cheney-Peters, Scott (19 February 2014). "Troubled Waters: Indonesia's Growing Maritime Disputes". thediplomat.com. The Diplomat. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  13. "KDB Jerambak". Clydebuilt Database. Archived from the original on 10 September 2004. Retrieved 8 February 2016.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  14. Ridzwan Rahmat (23 July 2014). "Indonesia commissions first two of three Bung Tomo-class corvettes". www.janes.com. Jane's Information Group. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  15. "KDB Nakhoda Ragam". Clydebuilt Database. Archived from the original on 23 September 2006. Retrieved 8 February 2016.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  16. "KDB Bendahara Sakam". Clydebuilt Database. Archived from the original on 23 September 2006. Retrieved 8 February 2016.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  17. https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/03/len-industri-thales-to-modernise-indonesian-frigate-kri-usman-harun/
  18. https://navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2020/september/8969-thales-to-modernize-multi-role-light-frigate-kri-usman-harun-of-indonesian-navy.html
  19. https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide/defence-and-security/magazine/indonesias-decisive-move-modernise-its-naval-patrol
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