“Indonesia Acquires Atmaca from Turkey, Now Eyes China’s YJ-12E Coastal Defence System”

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Indonesia has awarded a contract to its local company, PT Republik Defensindo, to acquire 45 units of the ‘Atmaca’ anti-ship guided missiles manufactured by Roketsan, a company from Turkey.

Jakarta emerges as a foreign nation outside Turkey utilizing the anti-ship missiles.

Turkey developed the ‘Atmaca’ anti-ship missile to reduce dependence on the American-made ‘Harpoon’ anti-ship missiles.

As reported by Defence Security Asia yesterday, Turkey will initially equip 12 of its warships with the ‘Atmaca’ anti-ship missiles, and efforts to replace the ‘Harpoon’ anti-ship missiles will be extended to other platforms.

The ‘Atmaca’ anti-ship missile weighs 750kg and is guided by the Inertial Navigation System (INS) and Global Positioning System (GPS), with a range capability of 220km.

In addition to the acquisition of the ‘Atmaca’ anti-ship missiles from Turkey, there are also reports indicating Indonesia’s interest in obtaining the YJ-12E coastal anti-ship missile system manufactured by China.

The YJ-12E coastal anti-ship missile system is similar to the Indian-made Brahmos, acquired by the Philippines, and the Naval Strike Missile developed by the defense firm Kongsberg of Norway.

The YJ-12E coastal anti-ship missile system is an export variant of the YJ-12B missile used by the Chinese military and is a version of the widely used YJ-12 missile in major Asian power nations.

 With a speed of Mach 3, the YJ-12E missile is guided by the BeiDou system and an active radar seeker.

Not only does Indonesia intend to acquire the YJ-12E coastal anti-ship missile system, but its national defense research and development agency also plans to produce components or the entire guided missile system domestically.

According to China’s nationalist newspaper, Global Times, the YJ-12E coastal anti-ship missile system has the speed and capability to penetrate enemy air defense systems while hitting its targets.

 

“Acquiring weapons from China may not be aimed at modernizing the military of a country, but more as a political move, as a reassurance to China that Indonesia is not a threat,” according to a regional analyst cited by the South China Morning Post.

He gave the example of Malaysia acquiring four Keris-class patrol ships from China, seen as an effort and commitment to address incursions in its maritime areas without appearing confrontational towards Beijing.

However, many question Indonesia’s proposal to acquire weaponry from China, considering the overlapping territorial disputes between Beijing and Jakarta in the South China Sea, especially around the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) rich in oil and gas resources in the Natuna Islands. – DSA

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