PAL starts construction of Indonesia's first Scorpène submarine

By Romel S. Gurky

State shipyard  PT PAL Indonesia (Persero) (PAL) announced last week that it  has started construction of the first Scorpène-class submarine for the Indonesian Navy, following a steel-cutting ceremony at its shipyard in Surabaya on Aug. 7, 2026.

The ceremony marked the start of the construction phase under the Scorpène for the Republic of Indonesia (SRI) program, which covers two Scorpène submarines to be built in Indonesia by PT PAL through technology and capability transfer from France's Naval Group.

Under the partnership,  PAL is responsible for hull construction, equipment integration, testing, final assembly and delivery of the submarines to the Indonesian Navy. Naval Group provides submarine design, engineering support, industrial capability transfer and technical assistance through a team based in Surabaya.

The construction follows training and certification programs conducted by PAL personnel in Cherbourg, France, as part of the capability transfer process.

PAL said the program is intended to develop Indonesia's submarine industrial capability and support the country's naval defence industrial autonomy. The company will also conduct the management, operation and maintenance of the future submarines domestically.

The program is expected to support the development of skilled employment in the domestic defence industry, with PAL describing the construction start as a step toward establishing its capability to build advanced naval platforms.

Editing by Alexander Ginting