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Following the recent delivery and final acceptance inspection of a combat spares package for the Indonesian Navy’s Martadinata-class frigates, Damen Naval has successfully completed an important contract for the Indonesian Ministry of Defence. The contract highlights Damen Naval’s ongoing role in supporting navies long after delivery, ensuring vessels remain operational and ready for deployment. To learn more about the project and what it takes to deliver such a contract, we spoke with Hylke Bosma, Damen Naval Account Manager Services.
Text: Tom Scott
Between 2007 and 2018, Damen Naval delivered six SIGMA vessels to the Indonesian Navy, across two different classes. The first four were the Diponegoro-class corvettes built to the Damen Naval SIGMA 9113 design. The most recent two are the Martadinata-class (known locally as PKR) frigates using the SIGMA 10514 design.
During the inspection visit in Vlissingen (from left)Colonel Susilo Raharjo (Indonesian Navy HQ), Colonel Januar Heri Cahyono (Indonesian Navy), Marthinus Alberto (Ministry of Defence Indonesia), Martin de Bruijn, Hylke Bosma, and Ed Veen van Damen Naval.
“This latest project is a direct contract with the Indonesian Ministry of Defence for a combat spare part package for the PKR-class vessels,” Hylke begins. “We signed the contract with the Indonesian Ministry of Defence back in March 2024, and we delivered the spare parts to the client last month.”
For the production of combat system components, long lead times are quite common. “Combat spares are not off-the-shelf products,” Hylke explains. “They have to be specially made, and suppliers often need significant preparation and engineering.”
Account Manager Services Hylke Bosma.
Inspection in the Netherlands
A notable part of a contract like this is the pre-shipment inspection, which takes place before Damen Naval actually ships the parts to its client. “For this contract, this was between the 20th and 27th of February, here at our Head Office in Vlissingen, the Netherlands. Three high-ranking representatives from the Indonesian Ministry of Defence and the Indonesian Navy visited us to inspect the items and verify compliance with the contract requirements.”
Hylke adds: “They spent a full week here, which gave us the chance to show them how we work and what we do here. It was a good opportunity to strengthen our relationship and give them a clear view of our processes.”
Delivery to Surabaya
Following the inspection, the shipment was packed and transported to the Indonesian naval base in Surabaya. A final acceptance procedure was then carried out, where the delivery was checked and verified according to Ministry of Defence protocols.
Besides the Indonesian Navy, Hylke is also the Services Account Manager for the Mexican Navy. Before joining Damen Naval in 2018, he worked as an engineer for ten years onboard cruise ships. “And after that I worked as a project manager at a ship repair yard. So, I’ve always had a strong connection with practical and technical work. Working in the Services department combines office work with ship visits, dockings, spare parts preparation – it’s a bit of everything. I really like that.”
Staff of the Indonesian Navy in Surabaya and Damen representatives after the final acceptance of the combat spares package. Fourth from left: Yohanes Andrian (Damen Schelde Indonesia), second from right: Febri Catur (Damen Schelde Indonesia).
A broad scope of disciplines required
Hylke emphasises that projects like this recent combat spares package for the Indonesian Ministry of Defence are never handled alone. “I coordinated this contract,” he explains. “But I definitely don’t work alone – many other departments are involved: Commercial, Purchasing, Logistics, Legal, Cost Control, and Engineering when needed. We work on all aspects together to make it all work as well as possible.”
For Damen Naval, service and spare parts projects like this show that building and delivering a ship is only the beginning of a long relationship with a naval client. What’s more, it’s a job that requires a different set of skills to Damen Naval’s primary activity of building naval vessels. “The work we do in the Services department is a different ballgame to our new-building operations. We are a small team, and we really like what we do: providing lifecycle service support to our export clients in Morocco, Indonesia and Mexico. In addition to this, we work closely with our ILS Engineering colleagues to purchase and deliver spare parts for the upkeep of the Royal Netherlands Navy Combat Support Ship.”