Indonesia ordered two Scorpène class submarines from the industrial Naval Group on Tuesday April 2. Beyond a new success for the French defense industry, this contract also makes it possible to strengthen links with a key country in the Indo-Pacific, a region where France aims to play a role.
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With now 16 units sold, the Scorpène submarine is the best-seller of the French Naval Group. The navies of Brazil, India, Chile, Malaysia and now that of Indonesia are equipped with them. Indonesia has ordered two Scorpène submarines from Naval Group, which will be built in the shipyard of the Indonesian company PT PAL, the naval industrialist announced on Tuesday. defense in a press release.
This success reinforces the defense cooperation concluded between Paris and Jakarta three years ago. In addition to submarines, Indonesia is equipped with Rafale fighter planes, and surveillance of its airspace is ensured by radars from the Thalès group. In a tweet, the Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu welcomed a “ sign of confidence from our partner “.
“ Indonesia has chosen a capable, sea-proven submarine that will strengthen the country’s maritime sovereignty. Besides submarines, our strategic partnership with PT PAL will also enable the Indonesian defense industry to actively prepare for the future of naval combat », welcomed the CEO of Naval Group, Pierre-Eric Pommellet, quoted in the press release.
Develop a strategic partnership
The strategic partnership with this immense archipelago of 17,000 islands continues to strengthen. Indonesia has increased its contracts with French defense manufacturers in recent years. The country notably acquired last year 13 military radars for airspace surveillance. The Scorpène submarines will be built in Indonesia thanks to a transfer of know-how and technology from Naval Group.
Since the Aukus affair, which had seen Paris being ousted from the Australian submarine market in favor of the United States and Great Britain, France insists on the fact that it is, thanks to New Caledonia, Polynesia and Reunion Island, a nation bordering the Indo-Pacific and that it does not intend to make up the figure in this strategic region. The successes of its defense industry in Indonesia are, therefore, likely to reinforce this ambition.
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