One shipyard in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia is currently building Indonesia's next frigate, the biggest warship the UAE has ever ordered from Southeast Asia, and a landing dock for the Philippines. All inside the same gates.
Within the same complex, workers are simultaneously building three completely different warships for three different navies. Each serves a different mission. Each belongs to a different customer. And all are being built at the same shipyard.
Three Warship Classes, Three Different Missions
The most advanced project is KRI Balaputradewa (322), the lead ship of Indonesia's Merah Putih (Red White) Frigate program.
Based on the British Arrowhead 140 design but extensively customized by Indonesian engineers, the 140 meter frigate was launched in December 2025 and is currently undergoing fitting out before sea trials.
PT PAL also expects contracts for the third and fourth ships of the class to be signed in 2026, further expanding Indonesia's future surface fleet. According to the company, each frigate requires roughly 30 months from first steel cutting to delivery.
Just a short distance away, PT PAL is constructing a 163 meter Landing Platform Dock (LPD) for the United Arab Emirates Navy.
With a displacement of around 13,000 tons, the vessel is the largest warship ever built by PT PAL. Designed for amphibious operations, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and logistics support, it can carry hundreds of troops, armored vehicles, and multiple helicopters. Construction began after the contract was signed in 2023, with delivery scheduled for 2027.
The third project belongs to the Philippine Navy.
On 30 June 2026, PT PAL launched Future Landing Dock (LD-603), the first of two improved landing docks ordered by Manila. Measuring 124 meters in length, the ships are an evolution of the earlier Tarlac class vessels that PT PAL previously built for the Philippines, making this a repeat order from an existing customer. PT PAL says the hull was completed in only six months using its Industrial Maritime 4.0 (IM4) production system.
More Than Just Building Three Ships
Building three warships at once is already a challenge. Building three entirely different classes of warships is another matter altogether.
A modern frigate like the Balaputradewa Class integrates advanced combat management systems, radar, sensors, and future missile capabilities. The UAE's LPD is a large amphibious platform designed to transport troops, heavy equipment, and helicopters across long distances.
Meanwhile, the Philippine landing dock prioritizes sealift, amphibious operations, and humanitarian missions.
Each project follows different engineering standards, production schedules, system integrations, and customer requirements, all while sharing the same shipyard.
That level of industrial flexibility is typically associated with major global shipbuilders such as HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean in South Korea, both of which regularly construct multiple naval programs simultaneously.
Within Southeast Asia, however, PT PAL is among the very few shipyards currently building frontline warships for three different navies at the same time.
A Shipyard Growing Beyond Domestic Orders
For decades, most Southeast Asian countries bought their warships from somewhere else. Now Indonesia is the one selling them.
The frigate going up in Surabaya will fly Indonesia's flag. The one next to it will fly the UAE's. A few hundred meters over, another will end up in the Philippine Navy. Same yard, three customers, three completely different jobs.
