Fatahillah-class

Summary

Description

The Fatahillah class is a series of corvettes that serve within the Indonesian Navy, built by Wilton-Fijenoord in Schiedam, Netherlands. This class includes three ships, all of which remain active.

The Fatahillah class was designed with attention to versatility and strength. The vessels in this class exemplify considerable engineering with their 84 m length and CODOG-type propulsion system. This system comprises one Rolls-Royce Olympus TM-3B gas turbine, producing a powerful 28,000 shp, and two MTU diesel engines delivering 6,000 bhp each. This allows the ships to reach a top speed of 30 knots and a cruising range of 4,250 nautical miles at 16 knots. Each corvette has a standard crew complement of 89, including 11 officers, ensuring ample personnel for operations and management.

Armed to engage in various combat scenarios, the Fatahillah class corvettes boast a Bofors 120 mm Automatic Gun, a versatile Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun, and two Rheinmetall autocannons for defense and attacks. Anti-submarine warfare capabilities are provided through a twin anti-submarine rocket launcher and torpedoes, although the third ship in the class swaps torpedo launchers for an extra 40 mm gun and has the capacity to carry a helicopter. Originally equipped with Exocet anti-ship missile launchers, the vessels no longer carry these missiles due to obsolescence since the early 2000s. Additionally, the ships are outfitted with countermeasure systems including chaff launchers and a torpedo decoy setup, complimented by a suite of electronics and sensors to detect and track threats. Over time, updates to these systems have included new radars and fire-control systems, with the most recent upgrades in 2016 and 2020 further modernizing the vessels with advanced air and surface surveillance radars and new IFF systems.

Operational history of the Fatahillah class includes notable deployments where they have demonstrated their utility in real-world scenarios. Both KRI Fatahillah and KRI Nala were involved in the search operation for the missing Adam Air Flight 574, with KRI Fatahillah identifying potential plane wreckage. Moreover, in late 2022, the Fatahillah and its sister ship Malahayati participated in a significant security operation with other naval forces to secure the G20 summit in Bali.

Technical specifications