REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SURABAYA -- State-owned ship manufacturer PT PAL Indonesia has completed the construction of a 60-meter-long fast missile ship (KCR), the second order of the Defense Ministry. PT PAL Indonesia's Director Budiman Saleh stated at the launch of the missile ship at the warship division of Ujung, Surabaya, on Tuesday that it was the ministry's fourth ship, which was designed and built by local engineers.

He explained that the ship's construction had been improved with six modular systems that were capable of speeding up its process. He added that the project could be completed before its target in June.

"I thank the State Enterprises Ministry for its support to PT PAL Indonesia to build the primary weaponry defense system (Alutsista)," Saleh emphasized.

Indonesia's Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Ade Supandi noted that the country will need 20 to 25 fast missile boats, and currently, four ships have been built by PT PAL Indonesia.

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"Hence, there will be more orders for KCR, and PT PAL Indonesia has the opportunity to execute the projects," he noted, adding that the company will need to improve the quality of its human resources to build the required ships.

"The previous ship was too wide, and this could reduce its speed. The system must be improved, especially with regard to the plan to sell the ships to other countries," Supandi noted.

"KCR-60 must become the top product of PT PAL Indonesia," he stated.

The KCR-60, named "Kerambit," has been designed to carry 55 crew members and has the ability to operate in Sea State 5, characterized by rough waves of four meters in height.

Its weaponry system is more integrated with the ship stability standard and developed to adjust with the Navy's need, with improvement in the main engine, from 2 x 2880 kilowatts (kW) to 2 x 3900 kW, to increase its maximum speed from 28 knots in half load to 28 knots in full load.

The ship also has a sewage treatment plant.

With completion of the project, the Navy now has four missile ships, and after its first batch, PT PAL has built three fast missile boats equipped with the C-705 anti-ship missile.

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