In light of Indonesia’s defense modernization efforts, as stipulated in the Minimum Essential Force program, the country is actively procuring various new assets. This is also true for the naval force, as Indonesia is pursuing acquiring new surface combatants, particularly frigates, to modernize its aging fleet, address geopolitical challenges, and enhance the country’s power projection capacity. Given these issues and goals, procuring new vessels is more than welcome. However, it is important to remember that Indonesia should not simply aim to procure as many ships as possible, or the largest vessels possible, since there are various technical and operational matters to take into consideration.
First, Indonesia should be aware that the current evolution of warfare will require the country to adapt the way it views warfare. The importance of noting this matter was evident in the past with the rise of the notion of a “revolution in military affairs” (RMA) among American defense experts following the end of the Cold War. They believed that the application of new technologies and extensive battlefield information processing capacity helped win the Gulf War. However, with the recent rise of asymmetrical warfare and the resurgence of interstate and high-intensity conflicts, not to mention further technological advancements, it might be time to think about an “RMA 2.0” for Indonesia and adapt accordingly.
Additionally, it is also important to note that adversaries and belligerents do not hesitate to employ disruptive technologies in the maritime domain. For instance, in recent months, navies all around the world recorded an uptick in cyberattacks from both state and non-state actors. It is not impossible that such attacks could directly impact, for instance, a warship’s navigation systems, or even its kinetic capacities.
Asymmetric warfare tactics are also on the rise and are no longer limited to suicide attacks such as the Al-Qaeda bombing of the USS Cole back in 2000, when the ship was refueling in Yemen. Instead, navies worldwide face drones, a threat that can take several forms. As witnessed in modern battlefields, such as in Ukraine or the Near and Middle East, even small commercial drones can be considered a threat that could impact, at best, the normal conduct of operations, while military-grade drones are changing the face of warfare. One of the most prominent examples would be their use by the Houthis in Yemen to disrupt marine traffic in the Red Sea. Meanwhile, the increasing employment of military-grade unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) for both kinetic and non-kinetic actions highlights a worrying trend, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.
In light of these challenges, it is important for the Indonesian Navy to take into consideration these evolving maritime security and naval warfare contexts when procuring new surface vessels. To do so, it will be essential to select platforms that could address the four fundamental aspects of modern combat: protection, detection, deployment, and attack. As a matter of fact, the failure to do so might lead to extensive capacity gaps and exacerbate existing issues pertaining to aging warships or even the lack of interoperability. This is why, Indonesian decision-makers are considering several options for its surface fleet – such as Italian shipyard Fincantieri PPA-Evo-class offshore patrol vessel, Turkish shipyard INS’ Istif-class frigate, or the French shipyard Naval Group Belh@rra frigate – they should ensure that whatever they choose can face the challenges of future naval warfare.
Current conflicts highlight the need for a surface combatant to be combat capable: it should be able to address military challenges in a high-intensity environment, while being robust, stealthy, and survivable. Such a platform should also be able to accomplish the whole spectrum of missions required by modern navies, such as anti-submarine warfare, anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, and asymmetric warfare. Interestingly, for years, the focus of shipyards all over the world has been to develop heavy frigates and destroyers, arguing that bigger warships will perform better. However, the ongoing evolution in warfare has undermined this assumption that bigger is always better. Moreover, the trend also demonstrates that the quantity and power of weapon systems onboard a warship is no longer the sole determining factor in assessing a vessel’s capability.
Indeed, as high-intensity warfare is starting to succeed decades of low-intensity operations, the stealthiness of a warship is now considered an essential factor in its survivability. Stealth reduces the risk of being detected and thus extend the capacities of a warship to strike, shifting its position from hunted to hunter. Meanwhile, modern warships should be able to be more lethal: the ability to provide area defense through combat-proven weapons and systems – not only for the ship itself, but from an entire Task Force – against threats such as cruise and ballistic missiles, or submarines, is also a key aspect of the enhanced lethality that is needed to protect Indonesia’s sovereign interests. Lastly, it is also essential for a modern warship to be able to counter cyber threats: the ongoing evolution on the battlefield shows that in future conflicts, cyberspace will play an essential role, and being able to fully operate under cyber-attacks is a must.
All in all, as Indonesia is set to launch its first Merah Putih frigate in the months to come, decision-makers should approach the procurement of surface combatants by selecting capable and suitable assets to safeguard national interests and Indonesian sovereignty. Just as Indonesia should avoid amassing a variety of defense assets solely for the sake of increasing “firepower” without considering matters of interoperability and the implications of a new “Revolution in Military Affairs” on the horizon, decision-makers must also prioritize a surface vessel’s operational capabilities, including its non-kinetic functions and cyber warfare capacity, rather than simply aiming for the largest ship. No less importantly, it is essential to take into account the fact that selecting new warships should not be based on how a conflict was perceived decades ago. Instead, Indonesia must consider recent technological developments to anticipate future needs and ensure that new assets can answer modern threats from state and non-state actors while anticipating tomorrow’s conflicts.
The views expressed in this article are personal.