Two Italian Warships Renamed as KRI Brawijaya and KRI Prabu Siliwangi of Indonesian Navy
Constructed at the Riva Trigoso-Muggiano shipyard, these vessels are the largest warships ever operated by the Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Laut or TNI-AL), with a full displacement ranging between 5,800 to 6,300 tons.
(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – Two Italian Navy Multi-Purpose Combat Ships (MPCS) have been renamed to KRI BRAWIJAYA-320 and KRI PRABU SILIWANGI-321 following their acquisition by the Indonesian Navy last year.
Indonesia spent €1.18 billion (RM5.44 billion) to procure the two PPA-class (Pattugliatore Polivalente d’Altura) vessels, also known as the Thaon de Revel-class, in 2024.
Constructed at the Riva Trigoso-Muggiano shipyard, these vessels are the largest warships ever operated by the Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Laut or TNI-AL), with a full displacement ranging between 5,800 to 6,300 tons.
Prior to being renamed KRI BRAWIJAYA-320 and KRI PRABU SILIWANGI-321, the ships served in the Italian Navy as Marcantonio Colonna and Ruggiero di Lauria, respectively.
They are the fifth and sixth PPA-class ships built for the Italian Navy.
The versatile design of the PPA-class vessels enables them to perform a wide range of missions, from front-line naval operations and maritime patrols to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

With the acquisition of these advanced combat ships, the Indonesian Navy will enhance its capability to support stability in the Indo-Pacific region and safeguard the nation’s strategic interests.
This procurement contract was driven by the strong interest generated during the deployment of the MPCS/PPA vessels, Francesco Morosini and Raimondo Montecuccoli, to Indonesia in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Both newly acquired vessels are scheduled to be delivered to the Indonesian Navy in 2025.
In November 2023, media reports revealed that Indonesia secured financing to fund the acquisition of the two PPA-class vessels from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri.
According to a report by defense portal Janes, Indonesia obtained a loan of US$1.25 billion (RM5.43 billion) from BNP Paribas, with support from Crédit Agricole and backed by the Italian export credit agency SACE.
In March 2023, the Indonesian Ministry of Defense signed a contract worth €1.18 billion with Fincantieri for the procurement of the two PPA-class ships.

Fincantieri describes these vessels as highly flexible, technologically advanced platforms capable of executing diverse missions, including maritime patrol, search and rescue (SAR), civil defense, and combat operations.
The Italian Navy plans to operate six PPA-class offshore patrol vessels by 2026, with two of them currently in active service.
The first PPA-class vessel for the Italian Navy was constructed in 2017.
Fincantieri noted that Indonesia’s interest in the PPA-class vessels was sparked by the Far East deployment of the Italian Navy’s second PPA-class ship, Francesco Morosini, which made a port call in Indonesia in July 2023.
The same vessel also visited Malaysia to participate in LIMA 2023 in Langkawi in May 2023, although it did not garner significant attention from Malaysia’s Ministry of Defence or the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN).
