Indonesia starts Scorpene Evo production

Indonesia started pre-production work for its Scorpene Evo program in late May 2026, and has now announced that the first steel cutting for the first Scorpene Evo boat will take place this month, also revealing other key elements of the program.

Image: Naval Group via ANTARA

Construction details

Construction of the first boat is estimated at 4 years, with sea trials scheduled for 2030 and delivery in 2032. Construction of the second boat begins in 2027, with sea trials in 2031 and delivery in 2033. Note the PT PAL has stated that construction can be accelerated as workforce and manufacturing efficiency improvements are implemented. Sub builder PT PAL has production space for “simultaneous build or MRO” of four submarines - as I reported last year, PT PAL has upgraded its Surabaya shipyard’s indoor production facilities, and may soon push for export orders, though a formal agreement with Naval Group has not yet been made.

Image: From Naval News. PT PAL Surabaya production facilities, note Submarine Hangar building on right of image. ---

Follow-on Orders

Janes reported in mid-June that PT PAL will support the full integration of torpedo-tube-launched missiles for the second batch of two boats, and for all follow-on orders, and this also indicates that Indonesia has already held discussions with Naval Group about follow-on orders.

Integrating a torpedo-tube-launched system will enable the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) Scorpene Evo boats to launch Exocet SM39 and upcoming SM40 ASMs, and potentially the LCM-NCM Mk2 very long-range cruise missiles.

Indonesia's current Naval Chief of Staff, Admiral Muhammad Ali, stated in October 2023 that "the ideal number of submarines to support our forces is 12" to meet Indonesia's then Minimum Essential Force (MEF) requirements, now known as Optimum Essential Force (OEF). This means that a successful program could see production extend through the late 2030s, and PT PAL has expressed a desire to develop an indigenous design for export from around 2042.

Note:

While Naval Group has stated that the Indonesian Scorpene Evo will have a displacement of between 1,600 and 2,000 tons, Indonesian state news agency ANTARA claims the displacement is between 1,800 and 2,800 tons.