If it were a movie, without a doubt, it would be called The club of fivefor that classic from the 1980s in which five teenagers, the athlete, the brainiac, the bully, the spoiled girl and the weirdo, united against a common enemy. Without labeling any of them, the club of five could also be the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom or France. For decades, the most sophisticated submarines seemed reserved for this small group of military powers. Building one of these silent giants required decades of industrial experience, extremely sensitive technologies and a level of engineering that very few countries could achieve.
But that map is starting to change. Indonesia has begun the construction of two Scorpène Evolved, state-of-the-art submarines that will not only reinforce its navy, but will also be manufactured in the country itself through an extensive technology transfer program with the French company Naval Group. More than the purchase of two ships, the agreement represents a step towards industrial independence for a nation that aspires to become an Indo-Pacific naval power.
The decision may be surprising if you look only at the name of the country. However, Indonesia has the fourth largest population on the planet and is made up of more than 17,000 islands, a territory where controlling the sea is not an option, but a strategic necessity. In the underwater world there is a simple maxim: the best submarine is the one whose presence no one detects. The new Scorpène Evolved have been designed precisely with that idea. They incorporate lithium-ion batteries that partially replace traditional lead-acid batteries. The difference seems like a technical detail, but it profoundly changes its capabilities.
The New batteries store more energy, recharge more quickly and allow you to navigate for longer periods of time completely submerged without having to take out your snorkel. to power diesel engines. Every time a submarine surfaces or uses that ventilation system, the risk of being located by radar, infrared sensors or aerial surveillance increases.
The Scorpène Evolved can exceed 20 knots underwater, operate at depths greater than 300 meters, remain on mission for more than 78 days and carry up to 18 weapons, including torpedoes and missiles, launched from six launch tubes. All of this managed by the SUBTICS combat system, developed specifically for operations in both oceanic waters and shallow seas.
However, the most important aspect of the program may not have to do with the submarine’s performance. The first two Scorpènes will be built at the PT PAL shipyard in Surabaya, with Indonesian engineers who will receive direct training from Naval Group. The agreement provides for a broad transfer of knowledge that will allow the country to manufacture, maintain and modernize its own submarines for decades to come.
And in the defense industry this makes a huge difference. Buying a submarine provides military capability. Learning to build it also generates its own technological industry, highly qualified employment and strategic autonomy. It is no coincidence that France has made this type of agreement a fundamental piece of its strategy in the Indo-Pacific. The program also reflects a much broader transformation. For years, naval modernization in Asia was carried out almost exclusively by China, Japan, South Korea, India and Australia. Now other countries in the region are beginning to develop their own industrial capabilities.
Indonesia occupies a privileged geographical position. The Straits of Malacca, Sunda and Lombok constitute some of the most important maritime passages on the planet. A huge part of world trade and energy transport crosses these routes daily. Having stealth submarines capable of operating discreetly in these maritime corridors significantly increases the country’s deterrence capacity.even against much larger navies.
Each new submarine built in Indonesia means hundreds of specialized engineers, welders capable of working with tolerances of millimeters, experts in materials, acoustics, electronics, batteries and combat systems. And this has the potential to change the country: Scorpène Evolved will become obsolete at some point, but the knowledge acquired by Indonesia will remain there.
in the movie The club of fiveone of the least remembered characters is the janitor (played by John Kapelos). It is he who helps them with some comments, who maintains a friendship with the group’s brainiac and who confronts the school principal by proving him wrong. Indonesia may be a “secondary” in this club, but its role could be very important.