Indonesia unveils Southeast Asia's first autonomous submarine

For the first time, Indonesia publicly displayed the KSOT (Kapal Selam Otonom) unmanned submarine model during the parade marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Indonesian Armed Forces on October 5 in Jakarta, attracting great attention from the international military community.

According to Naval News , KSOT is equipped with artificial intelligence, capable of diving deep and operating continuously underwater for 72 hours, reaching a maximum speed of 20 nautical miles/hour.

The ship can be remotely controlled via radio signals or satellite communications within a range of up to 322 km, helping to maintain flexible combat capabilities even at great distances from shore.

KSOT's communication system is designed to be integrated with the Indonesian Navy's command center, bases and headquarters, allowing the ship to directly participate in fleet missions.

Speaking at the Indo Defence 2025 exhibition, PT PAL Design Department Director General Chabibi Nur Tahlil confirmed that construction work on the submarine – known domestically as Kapal Selam Otonom (KSOT) – began in January 2025.

The KSOT is designed in three configurations: surveillance, one-way attack (OWA or kamikaze) and torpedo-armed variant. Along with the KSOT, PT PAL also showcased the truck-based Autonomous Submarine Command Center (ASCC), designed to manage and coordinate KSOT missions from land.

Notably, the armed version of the KSOT is said to be able to carry Black Shark torpedoes or Exocet missiles, weapons that are only found on large combat submarines.

In terms of design, KSOT uses a classic cross-shaped rudder structure, the superstructure is shaped like a conventional submarine conning tower and integrates a retractable complex antenna mast.

Observers say the appearance of KSOT marks an important step forward in Indonesia's ambition to be self-sufficient in defense technology. This vehicle was previously introduced by Indonesia at the Indo Defense exhibition in 2022 but has not been named. Currently, it is only codenamed KSOT-008.

The country sits at a strategic maritime crossroads linking Asia and Europe, where a series of narrow straits act as the lifeblood of global shipping. In a world fraught with uncertainty, Indonesia’s development of autonomous attack submarines suggests it is quietly preparing to control and defend its waters — a factor that could become a strategic asset in the event of a global conflict.

PT PAL Indonesia, the consortium responsible for the design and production of KSOT, is Indonesia's largest state-owned shipbuilding company, specializing in the construction of frigates, landing ships, patrol boats and submarines.

In recent decades, the company has cooperated with South Korea and France to develop many modern warship models, aiming to gradually build up self-sufficient defense capacity.

Naval News

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