Indonesia has signed a contract to acquire two Istif-class frigates from Turkey at a defense convention in Istanbul.
The export contract supports Jakarta’s efforts to expand its naval fleet amid rising tensions in the Asia-Pacific, particularly in the South China Sea, while also advancing Ankara’s goal to strengthen its shipbuilding industry through international defense partnerships.
The cost of the foreign military sale is almost $1 billion, according to Indonesia Business Post, with Indonesia’s state-owned company PT PAL and Turkish firm TAIS poised to lead the development.
The deal builds on a partnership formed last June between PT PAL and TAIS to design military and support ships and carry out local industrial programs in Indonesia.
Sources said that despite this cooperation, the ships may already be under construction in Turkey and redirected from the Turkish Navy to the Indonesian Navy, enabling rapid delivery but delaying domestic fleet expansion.
“This marks Türkiye’s first export of [National Ship Project] vessels to Indonesia and represents a significant milestone in strategic naval cooperation, bringing pride to our nations,” the Turkish Defence Industry Agency said.
“We hope this collaboration, embodying the shared maritime defense vision of two allied nations, will be beneficial for all parties involved.”
📍İstanbul | IDEF 2025
IDEF 2025 kapsamında, Başkanımız Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün’ün katılımıyla TAIS Shipyards ile Endonezya Savunma Bakanlığı arasında 2 adet MİLGEM İstif sınıfı fırkateyn sözleşmesi imzalandı. 🇹🇷🤝🇮🇩
Bu anlaşma, Endonezya’ya yapılacak ilk MİLGEM sınıfı ihracat… pic.twitter.com/5w4nHlqdNt
— SSB (@SavunmaSanayii) July 26, 2025
The Istif-Class System
Turkey’s locally-made Istif-class frigate (also known as the Istanbul-class and I-class frigate) measures 113 meters (371 feet) long and has a beam of 14 meters (46 feet).
It can carry over 100 people, two rigid hull inflatable boats, unmanned aerial systems, and a maritime helicopter with similar dimensions to the S-70 Seahawk.
The warship is armed with a 76-millimeter main gun, 35-millimeter dual-barreled close-in weapon systems, anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles, torpedo launchers, advanced sensing capabilities, and an electronic warfare suite.
The vessel is equipped with a General Electric gas turbine, two MTU diesel engines, and twin propellers, supporting a sail speed of 29 knots (54 kilometers/33 miles per hour) and a range of 5,700 nautical miles (10,556 kilometers/6,559 miles).
Ankara plans to induct eight Istif-class frigates into its fleet. The lead ship, TCG Istanbul (F-515), was commissioned in 2024. Hulls two through six remain under construction, while the final two are in the pre-production phase.
