Babcock has secured its first work order under the £4-billion UK-Indonesia Maritime Partnership Programme, reinforcing bilateral naval cooperation. As lead industrial partner, Babcock will deliver licenses for two additional Arrowhead 140 frigates to be built domestically by Indonesia’s PT PAL. This builds on earlier licenses issued in 2021 and follows the December 2025 launch of the first Merah Putih-class frigate, KRI Balaputradewa. Designed for multi-domain operations, the 140-meter frigate supports air defense, anti-surface, anti-submarine, and electronic warfare missions. Powered by a CODAD propulsion system, the ship can reach speeds of 28 knots. The program strengthens Indonesia’s shipbuilding capability while leveraging British naval design expertise.
