KBRN, Jakarta: A wide range of military equipment was showcased during a grand parade celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Indonesian Armed Forces on Sunday (10/5/2025). Among the highlights was the KSOT-008 unmanned submarine — a testament to Indonesia's growing defense innovation.

The 80th anniversary celebration of the Indonesian Military (TNI) took place at National Monument (Monas) in Jakarta, home to the iconic National Monument. The parade also featured marching bands of the Indonesian Army, Navy and Air Force, and many more.

One of the main attractions was the unmanned submarine KSOT-008. The submarine appeared in black, bearing the emblem of Indonesia’s Ministry of Defense at its front.

The KST-008 was paraded on a truck through the crowd at Monas on Sunday (5/10/2025). (Photo:RRI VOI/Rama Shidqi Pratama)

The acronym “KSOT” stands for Kapal Selam Otonom/Tanpa Awak (Autonomous/Unmanned Submarine). This vessel was produced by PAL Indonesia, a state-owned shipbuilding company based in Surabaya, East Java.

KSOT-008 is claimed to be capable of operating underwater for up to 72 hours. It has a maximum cruising speed of 20 knots and a maximum range of 200 nautical miles (about 370 km).

“(KSOT-008) is equipped with six Black Shark torpedoes, Exocet missiles... as well as advanced navigation and communication systems,” the parade narrator said.

“Black Shark” refers to a heavyweight torpedo developed by WASS/Leonardo, an Italian defense company. Measuring 6.3 meters in length and 533 mm in diameter, this torpedo has an effective range of up to 27 nautical miles (about 50 kilometers).

Meanwhile, the Exocet is an anti-ship missile developed by MBDA, a French defense company. The missile can reach speeds of up to 620 knots (more than 1,100 km/hour) and has been used by several countries.

The submarine system was previously exhibited by PAL Indonesia in 2022 at the Indo Defence exhibition in Jakarta. At that time, PAL Indonesia’s CEO, Kaharuddin Djenod, stated that the submarine project was mandated by the Ministry of Defense.

“For some time now, we have been expected to produce a submarine that has high strike capability while being remotely operated,” he explained, as quoted from PAL Indonesia’s official statement in 2022.

An officer at PAL Indonesia pointed out a replica of an unmanned submarine at Indodefence 2022 in Jakarta. (Photo: PAL Indonesia)

During the event, PAL officially announced its cooperation with Diehl Defence, a German defense company, to develop the unmanned submarine. However, PAL stated that the submarine would be assembled in Indonesia, with more than half of its components produced domestically.

Self-reliance development in the defense industry has been one of the government’s priorities to cut dependence on imported arms. During President Joko Widodo’s administration, a holding company named Defend ID was established in 2022 to integrate five Indonesian defense firms. PAL Indonesia is now one of Defend ID’s subsidiaries.

President Prabowo, during his 2024–2029 term, has also made defense one of the central focuses in his eight main missions known as Asta Cita. One of these missions is “strengthening the national defense and security system and promoting national self-reliance through food, energy, and water sovereignty, as well as the creative, green, and blue economies.”