Indonesia Receives Its Second PPA: How Rome’s Naval Export Is Reshaping Jakarta’s Maritime Posture

On 22nd december, Indonesia has officially taken delivery of its second PPA (Pattugliatore Polivalente d’Altura), the KRI Prabu Siliwangi (pennant number 321), marking another concrete step in Jakarta’s effort to modernise its surface fleet and extend its maritime reach. The vessel, formerly known as Marcantonio Colonna and built as a PPA Light Plus for the Italian Navy, follows the delivery of the first unit earlier this year and confirms the rapid integration of Italian-designed platforms into Indonesian naval service.

The handover of KRI Prabu Siliwangi underlines how quickly Jakarta has moved to capitalise on an opportunity offered by Italy, acquiring a ready and proven platform rather than waiting years for a newbuild. Originally conceived within the Italian PPA programme, the ship embodies a design philosophy centred on flexibility, modularity and sustained presence, all critical requirements for an archipelagic state such as Indonesia.

The PPA Light Plus configuration sits at an interesting midpoint. While not a full-spectrum frigate, it offers significantly more capability than a conventional offshore patrol vessel, including advanced sensors, command-and-control systems and growth margins for future upgrades. For Indonesia, this means the ability to conduct long-endurance patrols, maritime security operations and regional presence missions with a single, adaptable platform.

Strategically, the timing matters. Today, Southeast Asian navies face increasing demands linked to maritime traffic, contested waters and grey-zone activities. The induction of a second PPA allows the Indonesian Navy to move beyond a symbolic acquisition and start building a small but credible operational nucleus around these ships. With two sister vessels available, rotational deployments, crew training and maintenance cycles become far more sustainable.

From Italy’s perspective, the transfer of the former Marcantonio Colonna further validates the export appeal of the PPA concept developed by Fincantieri for the Italian Navy. The programme demonstrates how surplus or reconfigured assets can be rapidly redirected to partners, strengthening defence ties while maximising the return on existing industrial investments.

More broadly, the delivery of KRI Prabu Siliwangi fits into a growing pattern of defence-industrial cooperation between Rome and Jakarta. Beyond the immediate operational impact, the success of the PPA transfers could open the door to deeper collaboration in areas such as training, logistics support and long-term sustainment (without forgetting the mooted sale of the aircraft carrier Garibaldi to Indonesia.)

As of today, Indonesia’s expanding PPA fleet highlights a wider trend in global naval procurement: an increasing preference for versatile, multi-role ships able to cover a broad spectrum of missions. The arrival of the second PPA is therefore not just a technical milestone, but a clear indicator of how Indonesia intends to posture itself at sea in the years ahead.