22 JANUARY 2021
Indonesia lays down country's third purpose-built hospital ship
by Ridzwan Rahmat
Indonesian state-owned shipbuilder PT PAL has laid down the keel for another naval hospital ship.
The vessel, which will be the third purpose-built hospital ship to be operated by the Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia – Angkatan Laut: TNI-AL) once it is commissioned, was laid down on 21 January at PT PAL’s warship division in Surabaya. First steel for the vessel was cut in September 2020.
The TNI-AL currently operates one South Korean-built hospital ship, KRI Dr Soeharso (990), and one interim hospital ship, KRI Semarang (594). The latter has been built to amphibious assault vessel specifications but is operating temporarily as a makeshift medical platform to fulfil service gaps.
The ship that was laid down on 21 January is the second purpose-built hospital ship to be constructed in Indonesia, with the first being the future KRI Dr Wahidin Soedirohusodo (991), which was launched on 7 January also in Surabaya.
Read more:
https://www.janes.com/defence-news/...wn-countrys-third-purpose-built-hospital-ship
^^ KRI Semarang will be redesignated back as an amphibious assault LPD once the gap for hospital ship is fulfill.
Btw cmiiw this hospital ship is drom TA 2021 right? So we will get another hospital ship in TA 2022? TA 2020 is for KRI dr.Wahidin Soedirohusodo (991)