DSEI 2021: Babcock to export its Arrowhead 140 frigate to Indonesia.

According to a press release published by Babcock on September 16, 2021, the aerospace, defence and security company has secured the first export contract for its Arrowhead 140 (AH140) frigate through a design licence agreement with PT PAL Indonesia (Persero), a state-owned enterprise that builds and maintains ships for military and commercial use from its facilities in Surabaya, Indonesia.

A model of Arrowhead 140 frigate design (Picture source: Navy Recognition)

The breakthrough deal comes two years since Babcock’s AH140 design was first announced as the preferred bidder for the UK Type 31 frigate programme at DSEI 2019, with the contract confirmed in November of the same year.

The design licence will enable PAL to build two Arrowhead 140 frigates in Indonesia with bespoke design modifications for the Indonesian Navy.

The agreement was signed at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2021 event in London, onboard HMS Argyll, by David Lockwood CEO Babcock and Kaharuddin Djenod, CEO PAL. And as witnessed by the Defence Minister of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto and UK Defence Secretary, Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP.

Babcock has been working alongside the UK Government to promote the Arrowhead 140 Frigate into the global market with strong interest internationally. The company recently
announced that it was one of the bidders down-selected by the Polish Government to provide a potential design solution for the Polish Navy’s Miecznik (Swordfish) frigate programme.

The baseline Arrowhead 140 design can be configured to meet a broad range of naval requirements and, with Babcock’s support PAL will now engineer the required modifications to configure the Arrowhead 140 for the Indonesian customer.

The Arrowhead 140 is a global white and blue water frigate. Scaled for adaptability and capability, this fully exportable British ship design complies with all relevant naval standards and delivers the ability to rapidly re-role the ship based on arising operational needs. It’s a vessel, built to deliver and support optimized operational effects while up-skilling the UK’s maritime enterprise.

The Arrowhead 140 frigate delivers high levels of survivability, operability, and responsiveness with naval customers able to achieve first-class performance. The wide beam design provides operational flexibility and its space-rich design enables efficiency in build, maintenance accessibility, and crew comfort as a core capability.

The Arrowhead 140 frigate will have a maximum overall length of 138.7 m, a maximum beam of 19.8 m, a design draft of 4.8 m, and a displacement of 5,700 tons. She will be powered by a combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) propulsion system including four diesel engines, two propellers, and two variable shaft lines. The ship will be able to reach a maximum speed of 28 knots (51.8 km/h).