KSAL: KRI Prabu Siliwangi enhances Indonesia's capacity to safeguard maritime sovereignty

Admiral of the Indonesian Navy Muhammad Ali stated that KRI Prabu Siliwangi-321, Indonesia’s latest warship which arrived in Jakarta on Thursday, enhances the branch’s capabilities in safeguarding maritime sovereignty. Ali, during a press conference following the welcoming ceremony for the Italian-built vessel, said that with all its modern technology, the capabilities of KRI Prabu Siliwangi-321 are on par with those possessed by Australia, Singapore, and Vietnam. “This will add to our capabilities in maintaining the country’s sovereignty at sea because the sensors it has, compared to previous ships, are better in this Brawijaya class,” he said at Pier 107 of Tanjung Priok Port. He explained that KRI Prabu Siliwangi-321 and the similar vessel that arrived earlier, KRI Brawijaya-320, are offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) that can be developed into frigates (warships). “I think in the Southeast Asian region, in terms of size, it is indeed the largest,” he stated. KRI Prabu Siliwangi-321 will strengthen the Indonesian Navy ranks under the Escort Unit of the Second Fleet Command in Surabaya, East Java. In the near future, the ship will participate in combat exercises. “We will conduct exercises using these ships to test all the weapon systems on the ships owned by the Navy,” Ali said. KRI Prabu Siliwangi-321 arrived at Tanjung Priok Port, Jakarta, on Thursday, after sailing from the La Spezia Naval Base dock in Italy on 11 February 2026. Before docking in Jakarta, the ship stopped in various countries, such as the Kingdom of Morocco and Nigeria, and also docked in Lampung on Monday (23/3). This ship, with a length of 143 metres and a width of 16.5 metres, is designed to carry out various types of missions, such as patrols, surface, underwater, and air warfare, escorting important assets, maritime law enforcement operations, and humanitarian missions. In addition, it is equipped with an OTO Melara 127-millimetre main gun, a 76-millimetre Strales gun for medium-range air targets, 16 vertical missile launchers for air strikes, Teseo Mk-2E missiles for surface targets, anti-submarine torpedoes, and close-range automatic weapons. “The presence of KRI Prabu Siliwangi-321 reinforces the Indonesian National Armed Forces’ steps in strengthening and modernising the weapon systems of the Navy fleet, while also demonstrating Indonesia’s commitment to the defence and security of Indonesia’s maritime territory,” said the Indonesian Navy Information Service Chief, Admiral Tunggul, in a press release.