Sinking of submarine KRI Nanggala exposes Indonesia’s ageing, underfunded navy

Lawmakers are demanding the doomed sub’s sister ship, the KRI Cakra, be grounded until its seaworthiness can be proved

Tragedy that killed 53 crew has highlighted Indonesia’s struggle to fund a modern maritime force amid the fight against Covid-19, just as China steps up incursions into its waters

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Members of the Indonesian navy stand on hospital ship KRI Dr. Soeharso as it prepares to join the search for submarine KRI Nanggala. Photo: AP

Published: 10:30am, 1 May 2021Updated: 11:36am, 1 May 2021

Indonesian lawmakers are calling for the sister ship to KRI Nanggala 402 – which sank recently with the loss of all 53 crew – to be grounded until it is proven seaworthy.

They say the sinking of the 44-year-old submarine has underscored the dangers Indonesia’s ageing military hardware poses to the country’s servicemen, with some criticising the government for not investing enough in the maintenance and modernisation of the country’s defences. The Nanggala’s sister ship, the KRI Cakra 401, is just four years younger.

The debate comes as the country struggles to balance the competing needs of providing jobs, dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic and safeguarding the nation at a time of increasing incursions from Chinese ships and foreign fishing vessels.

“I propose that KRI Cakra be grounded for the time being. Until there are thorough checks and responsibility [towards the vessel it should not be] allowed to operate,” T.B. Hasanuddin, a lawmaker and retired two-star general, told This Week in Asia.

Hasanuddin is a member of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party Struggle and sits on a commission that oversees defence, foreign affairs, intelligence and communications.

Another legislator, Farah Puteri Nahlia from the National Mandate Party, also called for KRI Cakra 401 to be grounded.