The Indonesian Navy continues to be committed to implementing the Increase in the Use of Domestic Products (P3DN). The Chief of Staff of the Navy (Kasal) Admiral TNI Dr. Muhammad Ali accompanied by the Chairperson of Jalasenastri Mrs. Fera Muhammad Ali led the Delivery Ceremony and Inauguration of the Commander of KRI Bung Hatta-370, in Batam, Riau Islands, Thursday (17/04).
Kasal in his speech said that the construction of the KRI is part of the modernization of forces in order to support the achievement of the tasks of the Indonesian Navy. One form of this program is the construction of the corvette ship KRI Bung Hatta-370. This ship is a corvette ship produced by the domestic defense industry, batch 2, which is a continuation of the first corvette ship KRI Bung Karno-369 which has previously strengthened the ranks of Satkor Koarmada I.
It should be noted that the Corvette Ship was built for 20 months by PT. Karimun Anugrah Sejati has several advantages, namely it is equipped with 1 unit of 57 mm cannon that can be upgraded to 76 mm, and 2 units of 20 mm cannon. In addition, this ship will also be armed with Surface to Air Missile (SAM), Surface to Surface Missile (SSM), Torpedo System for anti-surface, air, and underwater warfare which will be installed by the Indonesian Navy through the Fitted For But Not With (FFBNW) scheme.
This ship is also capable of carrying out electronic warfare missions because it is equipped with various electronic equipment such as R-ECM, R-ESM, etc., and is capable of operating in various terrains and weather. With a maximum speed of 25 knots and the agility of this ship, it is expected to be able to fulfill various operational and SAR missions well.
“The presence of KRI Bung Hatta-370 is proof of the progress achieved by national private shipyards. I hope that national shipyards can continue to innovate, increase capacity, and capability so that they can reduce dependence on foreign products, while strengthening the nation’s independence in the defense sector,” said Kasal.
Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Meutia Hatta, who is the daughter of Bung Hatta, in front of the media crew said that this ship is a domestic product that has sophisticated and modern technology, and also has a function that is much more advanced than before.
“Since the beginning of Bung Hatta as Vice President, he has always emphasized the importance of the Indonesian nation using natural resources and human resources, so that the quality of its human resources is advanced to build the country,” said Prof. Dr. Meutia Hatta. It
was further explained that the Indonesian Navy has a very large role in fostering a sense of love and pride for Indonesian children to fill development in the country.
In addition to the implementation of the Delivery Ceremony, the Chief of Naval Staff will also lead the inauguration ceremony of the Commander of KRI Bung Hatta-370, namely Lieutenant Colonel (P) Ramli Arif, ST, M.Sc., M.Tr.Opsla, who is an officer who graduated from the Indonesian Navy Academy (AAL) Class 50/2004.
The name of the Proclaimer of Independence on this warship was given because Mohammad Hatta, known as Bung Hatta, was a key figure in Indonesian history, born in Bukittinggi on August 12, 1902 and died in Jakarta on March 14, 1980. Together with Soekarno, Bung Hatta became the proclaimer of Indonesian independence on August 17, 1945.
To appreciate his services in the struggle, the Indonesian Navy immortalized his name as the KRI Bung Hatta-370 warship under the ranks of Koarmada II TNI AL, namely Satkor Koarmada II, where this type of Corvette ship is needed to strengthen the ranks of combatant elements that are ready to operate in order to maintain sovereignty in the Koarmada II work area, especially in overcoming the urgent escalation of crimes at sea.