The first SIGMA 10514 guided-missile frigate on order for the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) has completed sea trials, shipbuilder Damen said September 13.
The vessel, which will be named the KRI Raden Eddy Martadinata with penant number 331, is one of two SIGMA 10514 frigates constructed by both Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (DSNS) in the Netherlands and Indonesian state-owned shipbuilder PT PAL starting in 2014. They are being built using a collaborative modular process simultaneously operating at both shipyards.
The 105-meter, 2,365 tonne frigates can accommodate a crew of 120, with a top speed of 28 knots and a maximum range of 5,000 nautical miles, according to IHS Jane’s. They are equipped for a wide range of missions around Indonesian waters, from anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare to maritime security, search and rescue, and humanitarian support.
According to a press release by Damen, the trials began with an assessment phase, which consisted of a week of basin trials to ensure that propulsion and safety systems were fully operational. Following that, the vessel made a challenging passage from a PT PAL shipyard in Surabaya to the open waters of the Java Sea.
This was then followed by two weeks of sea trials which ended on September 7, the press release continued. These included tests of a weapons system and combat radar, commissioning of the sonar, and noise measurements and cavitation observations.
Though Damen said that the trials were successful, with “almost all of the systems passing assessments first time around,” some elements like the accommodation did require minor modifications that will be undertaken before final tests at the end of this month.
The first Sigma 10514 is scheduled for delivery at the end of January 2017, following the completion of three months of crew training. Damen has said that as of now, the delivery is expected to proceed as scheduled.