An Early History of Indonesian Submarine Operations

Author of Underseawarfare article Admiral Agung Pramono, Commander, Eastern Fleet, Indonesian Navy (facing with Admiral's baton). (Photo courtesy DC examiner) 

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Indonesian Submarine KRI Nanggala (402) (right click mouse to translate) and USS Oklahoma City (SSN-723) (Photo courtesy US Navy).
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Here are two views of Indonesian submarine operations:

SECTION ONE -  In US Navy’s Underseawarfare, Spring 2013, Issue No. 50  http://www.public.navy.mil/subfor/underseawarfaremagazine/Issues/Archives/issue_50/IndonesianSubSquadron.html [dead link as at April 2019!] is an interesting articleby Rear Admiral Agung Pramono, S.H., M. Hum, Indonesian Navy. In its struggle for independence Indonesia used its Russian provided Whiskey-class submarines for special forces insertion during the low level conflict in Dutch New Guinea (now Irian Jaya) in 1962. Here are some excerpts:

"The History of the Indonesian Submarine Squadron

....The Indonesian Navy has long experience in operating submarines. For a significant period in the 1960s and 1970s, Indonesia operated the most powerful submarine force in the Asia-Pacific region, excepting the Cold War superpowers: 12 Whiskey-class submarines, two torpedo retrievers, and one submarine tender, all purchased from the Soviet Union. By comparison, no other Southeast Asian nation possessed a submarine force of any size, and in 1967 the Royal Australian Navy had only six submarines, of the Oberon class. [The Whiskey class like the Oberon class drew heavily on the design features of the German World War Two Type XXI submarine].

KRI Tjakra (the first "Cakra") (S-01 or 401)(Photo courtesy Weapons Technology)

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The Indonesian Navy received its first submarine, KRI Tjakra (401) from the USSR on 12 September 1959. This first submarine was commanded by Commander O.P. Koesno... 

Three of the Indonesian Whiskey submarines used in Operation Trikora, the liberation of West Irian from the Dutch, 1962 (Photo courtesy Weapons Technology)

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During the 1960s, in the heyday of the Whiskey class, these superb underwater units were used to regain West Papua from Dutch colonial control. There were three submarine deployments during the military operation—called JAYA WIJAYA 1 [see in SECTION TWO BELOW] - against the Dutch forces in the West Papua. 

KRI Nagabanda (403), KRI Trisula (402), and KRI Tjandrasa (408) successfully launched an attack on the Dutch forces in the West Papua area; in operation TJAKRA II, Tjandrasa managed to infiltrate the enemy’s area to land a group of Indonesian Special Forces on the island. For the success of that operation, the Indonesian Government awarded Tjandrasa and her crew with the prestigious “Bintang Sakti” medal. To the present day, Tjandrasa is the only naval vessel to have been awarded the medal. In April 1963, in operation VISHNU MUKTI, KRl Nagarangsang (404), KRl Tjundamani (411), and KRI Alugoro (406) again conducted a ‘show of force’ in West Papua waters.

...The declining relationship between the Republic of Indonesia and the Soviet Union in 1965 - resulting from Indonesian government action against the rebellion of the Indonesian Communist Party - led to a spare parts crisis in the Navy, which affected the submarines. To maintain an operational force, the Indonesian Navy decommissioned several submarines and used their parts to repair the remaining vessels. Since then, the number of the Navy’s submarines declined steadily. The last remaining Whiskey-class submarine, KRI Pasopati (410), was decommissioned on 25 January 1990 and now serves as a submarine museum in downtown Surabaya.

In 1978, prior to the decommissioning of Pasopati, Indonesia procured two Type 209/1300 submarines from West Germany—KRI Cakra (401) and KRI Nanggala (402)—to maintain the security of Indonesian territorial waters. These two German submarines have been overhauled several times in Germany, South Korea, and Indonesia.

...Having learned from its previous experiences, the Indonesian Navy has planned to gradually increase the size of its submarine force in the years to come. To begin, it has ordered three [Improved Chang Bogo] Type 209/1500 submarines from South Korea. The Navy expects to restore the glory of its naval forces, including its submarine squadron."  See WHOLE ARTICLE

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SECTION TWO -  "50 YEARS OF SHARK KENCANA"

Separately - within "Weapons Technology" blog see "SHIP STORIES OF THE TNI AL: 50 YEARS OF KENCANA SHARK" of July 14, 2011 at http://weaponstechnology.blogspot.com.au/2011/07/kisah-kisah-kapal-selam-tni-al-50-tahun.html (right click mouse to translate) subsection:

-  (scroll halfway down) 1963 - 64 details of a reconnaissance down the Western Australian
     coast close to Perth (too cold) 

-  Confrontation with Malaysia

-  (scrol three quaters) 1975 "Make angry commander RAN frigate" :-) 

Pete