The Indonesian Navy will upgrade two fast patrol boats and two tank landing vessels with Leonardo’s latest-generation Marlin 40 naval remote defense system.
The Italian defense company will provide four Marlin 40 Independent Line of Sight (ILOS) systems to two PC60 fast patrol boats and two Teluk Bintuni-class tank landing ships.
Two additional PC60 boats currently under construction at PT Caputra Mitra Sejati shipyard in Jakarta are also set to receive the 40mm turrets.
The upgrade follows the Southeast Asian nation’s 2021 purchase of four Marlin 40 systems for an undisclosed amount.
As the two domestically-produced patrol ships were officially launched early this year, the Indonesian Navy has opted to upgrade its turrets with the system’s ILOS variant owing to its highly-effective precision-fire system.
The system can autonomously operate through a local control console.
“The electro-optical director can rotate independently of the line of fire to deliver panoramic surveillance through a highly accurate sensor suite comprising a daylight camera, an InfraRed camera and a laser range finder,” Leonardo said.
Marlin 40 Naval Remote Defense System
The 2,100-kilogram (4,629 pounds) turret features enhanced performance in various challenging environments, including anti-missile defense, anti-aircraft warfare, and ship-to-ship engagement.
Leonardo’s lightweight and fully digitized Marlin 40 naval defense system can also fire multi-purpose programmable fused ammunition.
“The Marlin 40’s high performance, flexibility and low weight make it the ideal solution for a ship’s main armament and/or secondary armament, providing valuable protection from maneuverable threats both in the air and on the surface,” the company said.
In 2018, the company first introduced the Marlin 40 during the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition & Conference in Qatar.