UK defense company Babcock says it has secured the first export contract for its Arrowhead 140 frigate, selling a design license to Indonesia.
The contract will allow PT PAL Indonesia (Persero), a state-owned enterprise that builds and maintains ships for military and commercial ships, to build two modified versions of the frigates for the Indonesian Navy.
It should be noted that the contract was signed shortly after Indonesia entered into an agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for the delivery of six FREMM frigates, as well as the modernization and delivery of two former Italian Navy Maestrale-class frigates.
The breakthrough deal for Babcock comes two years since the AH140 design was first announced as the preferred bidder for the UK Type 31 frigate program at DSEI 2019, with the contract confirmed in November of the same year.
The agreement was signed at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2021 event in London, on board HMS Argyll, by David Lockwood CEO Babcock and Kaharuddin Djenod, CEO PAL. The ceremony was witnessed by the Defence Minister of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto and UK Defence Secretary, Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP.
The company recently announced that it was one of the bidders down selected by the Polish Government to provide a potential design solution for the Polish Navy’s Miecznik (Swordfish) frigate program.
“Today is a really exciting moment for Babcock and our frigate export program, as we sign the design license with PAL for two new frigates for the Indonesian Navy.
“Working with our Indonesian colleagues this contract will see Arrowhead 140 frigates built in Indonesia, by the local workforce, contributing directly to the social and economic value of its sovereign shipbuilding community and country as a whole. We look forward to further opportunities to support PAL as the program matures,” David Lockwood, CEO Babcock said.
“Signaling the strength of our defense relationship with Indonesia, both of our naval forces will operate this world-leading frigate in the future and will work closely together to protect our mutual interests around the world,” UK defense secretary Ben Wallace added.
