On Wednesday, January 21, 2026, British company Babcock International announced that it had reached an agreement with Indonesia’s PAL Indonesia to grant a 4 billion GBP license for the construction of two additional Arrowhead 140 guided-missile frigates, known locally as the Balaputradewa class, under the program codenamed Fregat Merah Putih (Red-and-White Frigates).
Photo: Babcock International
Under the Maritime Partnership Programme (MPP), a Letter of Intent (LoI) was signed in London setting out the framework for granting a license for two frigates, which will join the first pair ordered in 2021.
The Letter of Intent, which paves the way for further agreements, was recently signed on behalf of the President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, and Babcock CEO David Lockwood. It follows the landmark MPP agreement announced in November 2025 between Babcock and the Government of Indonesia, aimed at jointly developing maritime capabilities for the Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Laut, TNI-AL), the fishing industry, and, by extension, food security. In this short period, significant progress has been made between Babcock and the Indonesian Ministry of Defence.
This new agreement recognizes our strategic role in delivering key elements of President Prabowo Subianto’s plans for the maritime economy and prosperity. These plans envisage substantial investment in Indonesia’s shipbuilding industry, supporting further modernization, the revitalization of fishing communities, the strengthening of national defense and maritime security, and the enhancement of food security.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said: “No matter where I am, delivering for working people at home is always in my mind’s eye. Today’s next phase of our partnership with Indonesia is a powerful vote of confidence in the UK, securing hundreds of high‑skilled jobs right here in Rosyth and strengthening our world-class shipbuilding future.”
President Prabowo Subianto, said: “I met with the CEO of Babcock. We are pleased to proceed with the maritime partnership. I think this is very important and strategic for Indonesia. This is a vital part of our maritime economic development.”
David Lockwood, Babcock CEO, said: “The Maritime Partnership Programme between Babcock and Indonesia is focused on advancing Indonesia’s defence and maritime capabilities, infrastructure and supply chain, while creating jobs and prosperity for local communities.”
Photo: Indonesian Ministry Of Defense
On April 30, 2020, Indonesia initially ordered two vessels in place of the six FREMM-class frigates previously planned. The first, KRI Balaputradewa (322), has been under construction at the PAL Indonesia shipyard in Surabaya since steel cutting on December 9, 2022. This was followed by keel laying on August 25, 2023, and the launch of the hull on October 27, 2025. A second, as yet unnamed vessel is also under construction: steel cutting took place on June 5, 2024, and the keel was laid on November 15, 2024. Both ships are scheduled to enter service in 2028–2029.
They are based on the Arrowhead 140 design, which also underpins the British Type 31 Inspiration class (five ships, three of them already under construction) and Poland’s Miecznik program (three ships, two under construction). The decision to grant the license means that a total of 12 vessels will be built under the Arrowhead 140 project.
The Indonesian frigates naturally differ in their equipment from the British and Polish counterparts, with many Turkish solutions adopted. The ships, with a length of 140 m and a beam of 19.75 m, have a displacement of 6,626 metric tons and, thanks to a CODAD propulsion system, can reach speeds of up to 28 knots and a range of up to 9,000 nautical miles. Endurance is 43 days, and the crew is to number 143 officers and sailors.
The vessels are fitted with the Havelsan ADVENT combat management system; the Aselsan CENK 350-N (Mete Han) multifunction phased-array radar; the Aselsan CENK 400-N surveillance radar; the Aselsan AKR-D fire-control radar; the Aselsan MAR-D helicopter operations support radar; and the Aselsan FERSAH hull-mounted sonar. Additional systems include a Leonardo identification friend-or-foe (IFF) system, the Elettronica RESM/CESM electronic warfare system, the Aselsan Hizir anti-torpedo system, and two eight-cell 130 mm Aselsan Kartaca-N decoy launchers.
Armament consists of two Leonardo OTO Melara 76/62 Super Rapid 76 mm naval guns, a 35 mm Rheinmetall Oerlikon Millennium Gun close-in defense system, two Leonardo LionFish 12.7 mm remotely operated weapon stations, a 64-cell Roketsan MIDLAS (Milli Dikey Atım Lançer Sistemi) vertical launch system for Hisar MR and Siper LR surface-to-air missiles as well as Atmaca anti-ship missiles, and two triple 324 mm launchers for Leonardo B515/3 lightweight torpedoes. An aft flight deck and hangar are provided for a medium maritime helicopter.
In addition to the British-designed frigates, authorities in Jakarta have acquired two multipurpose guided-missile frigates of the Italian MPCS/PPA class, the first of which, KRI Brawijaya (320), has already been delivered.
As part of efforts to expand TNI-AL capabilities, on February 6, 2025, a press conference was held in Jakarta by naval leadership, during which it was revealed that a procedure had been launched to assess the acquisition of at least four amphibious helicopter carriers, which could be built at the shipyard of the domestic company PT PAL Indonesia. These vessels could be equipped with Bayraktar TB3 combat unmanned aerial vehicles, to be produced locally under a Turkish license.
Meanwhile, on April 2, 2024, France’s Naval Group, together with the aforementioned PT PAL Indonesia, signed agreements with Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence for the local construction of two conventional Scorpène Evolved submarines with Full Lithium-Ion Battery (LiB) propulsion.
We have secured our first agreement under the £4 billion Maritime Partnership Programme (MPP) with Indonesia, for the sale of two Arrowhead 140 frigate licences. Read more: https://t.co/MtnEr82WQZ pic.twitter.com/dySrsRFbQD
— Babcock International (@Babcockplc) January 21, 2026
