Gary
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That's my guess, $900M for only the missile boat, that's criminal offense. NavalNews website hinted that it will be with the mothership (PAL will be involved) although local source said that at the moment the project is for KSR only (the increase of funding to $900M has not yet been approved at this point)
So my assumption is if the $900M funding are put forward they will at least include the mothership.
My biggest worry is exactly the C4ISR issue, I said earlier we need SATCOM so the mothership could continuously communicate with KSR located beyond the horizon. This sensor-shooter network is only as useful as long as our communications remains working.
I have my worry that the enemy will try to sever the communications, China is particularly good at EW. Their doctrine is called informationized warfare and it stress the PLA to cut any sort of communications and information between the nodes of the enemy. China will go after those nodes and I'm not confident with our ability to cope.
Yes, the use of grey hulled ships are in my opinion unwise. For starters we are in the position of weakness, using grey hulls only gives China the incentives to escalate, and they know they have the superior escalatory ladder. We must make the SCS issue a white hull v white hull issue only and it should stay that way for a very long time.
In this regard, Vietnam has long left us in this game, and if you look at the KPLP/Bakamla, they look pale compared that to Vietnam's coast guard + maritime militia combo which is suited for the type of grey zone warfare in the SCS.
The OPV 90, in my opinion is OPV in name only. It will have CIWS, ASW and ASuW capabilities. Workhorse frigate that size should at least have 12-16 short range missile the size of Umkhonto/Mica, that is to justify the price of the ships and its own ability to defend itself at least against a full salvo of enemy anti ship missile. Which is absent in the current OPV 90.
Without the addition of those VLS, we only have 5 ships with VLS and only 2-3 that could fire its VLS (2 Martadinata + 1 modernized Bung Tomo with VL Mica) while the rest of the fleet will have to defend themselves using Mistral, their DP main gun and manual 20mm cannon.
It is always amusing to see just how little the Indonesian navy put an emphasis on air defense on its warships even after the lessons of the Pacific war, Falklands etc.
