Naval Technology

Daily Newsletter

30 August 2023

Daily Newsletter

Babcock celebrates keel laying ceremony for Indonesian Navy’s new frigates

PT PAL and Babcock's collaboration on the design of Arrowhead 140 frigates is a promising development for Indonesia's naval industry.

Babcock, a global leader in engineering services, recently marked a milestone by participating in the keel laying ceremony for the first of two frigates being constructed for the Indonesian Navy.

The ceremony, held at Indonesian state-owned company PT PAL's shipyard in Surabaya, Indonesia, signifies the progress of this collaboration, where Babcock's Arrowhead 140 design serves as the foundation for the new vessels.

Launched in 2018, the Arrowhead 140 frigate design is based on a design by Odense Maritime Technology.

In partnership with PT PAL, Babcock's engineering and shipbuilding contribute to constructing these advanced frigates. The event shows the cooperation between the two organisations but also represents a step in bringing Babcock's design to life on Indonesian shores.

The Arrowhead 140 design secured its maiden export contract via a design license agreement with PT PAL Indonesia in 2021. This partnership harnesses the strengths of both entities – PT PAL's shipbuilding capabilities and Babcock's design proficiency – to create vessels tailored to the Indonesian Navy's requirements.

Speaking about the occasion, CEO David Lockwood congratulated PT PAL on achieving the significant keel-laying milestone. "We congratulate PT PAL on this significant milestone of keel laying for the first of their new frigates.

This is also an exciting time for Babcock and our Arrowhead 140 export programme as we proudly see our design coming to fruition. Our customers and the mission we share inspire us each and every day to strive for excellence – we look forward to seeing this programme develop in Indonesia."

As the Arrowhead 140-based frigates take shape in the PT PAL shipyard, the collaboration exemplifies the synergy between Babcock and PT PAL, promising a future of enhanced naval capabilities for the Indonesian Navy.

Last year, Poland also selected Babcock's Arrowhead 140 for the country's new MIECZNIK (Swordfish) frigate programme.

Emerging threats are reviving interest in advanced materials (AdMs)

Investment in AdMs has remained relatively constant due to its ubiquity in the defense sector, however, the emergence of new applications for AdMs and new threats such as hypersonic weapons are driving a global reevaluation of the importance of AdMs to military modernization efforts. Though demand and development are not proceeding at the same pace across the different value chains in the AdMs market, the wider cross-industry applications for new materials are driving investment and innovations in all relevant fields of expertise, thus ensuring the continued progression of AdMs research to the benefit of all.