The German-Built KRI Canopus-936 Officially Joins the Indonesian Navy Fleet
The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) received the warship KRI Canopus-936 in a handover ceremony held at the Abeking & Rasmussen shipyard in Germany on Thursday, February 12, 2026. The vessel is part of the Ministry of Defense’s ship procurement project.
The handover ceremony was led by Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Erwin S. Aldedharma. The series of events included ship naming, delivery, commissioning, and the inauguration of the ship’s commanding officer. “This ship will strengthen the forces of the Pushidrosal Operational Command in carrying out core hydro-oceanographic survey operations and supporting search and rescue as well as maritime security patrols,” Erwin said in a press release, quoted on Saturday, February 14, 2026.
In the Defense Minister’s remarks, read by the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, the ship’s procurement was described as part of the modernization of the Navy’s primary weapons systems. The handover was also regarded as a milestone in strategic cooperation between Indonesia and Germany.
Navy Colonel (Navigation) Indragiri Yani Wardhono was subsequently inaugurated as Commander of KRI Canopus-936. The inauguration marks the beginning of the vessel’s operational service within the Navy’s ranks. Construction of the ship took three years, and it is crewed by 93 personnel.
The vessel is an ocean-going Hydro-Oceanographic Auxiliary Ship (BHO). A BHO is a naval auxiliary vessel tasked with conducting hydrographic and oceanographic surveys, including sea mapping, depth measurement, currents, tides, and seabed characteristics to support navigational safety and military operations.
It is also equipped with a range of unmanned system technologies, including an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) ZBoat, as well as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Drone with Lidar and Multibeam Echosounder. The ship is also armed with a 20-millimeter cannon and a 12.7-millimeter machine gun.
The event was attended by, among others, the Indonesian Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany, expert staff and assistants to the Chief of Naval Staff, representatives of the German Navy, and the CEO of Abeking & Rasmussen.
The Navy stated that the presence of KRI Canopus-936 is expected to enhance maritime operational capabilities in both Military Operations for War and Military Operations Other Than War, as well as strengthen Indonesia’s maritime defense posture.