Dirgantara Partners with Greece’s Scytalys to Develop Maritime Surveillance Aircraft
Bandung. State-owned aerospace manufacturer Dirgantara Indonesia has formed a strategic partnership with Greek defense company Scytalys to develop a high-technology maritime surveillance aircraft (MSA) based on the locally built N219 Nurtanio platform. The aircraft will be deployed to support patrol operations of Indonesia’s Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla).
Dirgantara President Director Gita Amperiawan said the collaboration was formalized through a framework agreement signed in Athens on November 21, witnessed by Bakamla Chief Vice Admiral Irvansyah.
Gita described the initiative as a historic milestone for Indonesia’s aerospace industry, marking the first time the N219 — designed and built domestically — will be configured for military and paramilitary surveillance missions rather than civilian transport.
“In this program, Dirgantara Indonesia will serve as the main contractor responsible for aircraft configuration, while Scytalys will integrate surveillance systems,” Gita said.
The collaboration will equip the N219 MSA with advanced digital tracking capability through the MIMS Airborne Mission System. The aircraft will feature an electro-optical sensor capable of detecting objects up to 20 kilometers away, and a radar with a range of 160 nautical miles, making it a strategic asset for safeguarding Indonesia’s maritime domain.
Bakamla Chief Irvansyah said the agency has requested four N219 MSA units from the government.
“We are prioritizing the use of domestic products. Dirgantara Indonesia is fully capable of meeting this requirement,” Irvansyah said.
The aircraft will have an endurance of more than five hours and, in addition to advanced radar systems, will include a tactical datalink for real-time target transmission to command centers. The technology is expected to close surveillance gaps in remote border waters that have been difficult to monitor.
Final technical synchronization between PTDI and Scytalys will be conducted through a focus group discussion (FGD) before moving to the procurement contract phase, which is targeted for completion by the end of 2026.
The N219 Nurtanio is a 100 percent Indonesian-designed and Indonesian-built fixed-wing aircraft developed by PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI). Named after Indonesian aviation pioneer Nurtanio Pringgoadisuryo, the aircraft represents a major milestone in the country’s aerospace capability.
The N219 was originally developed as a short take-off and landing (STOL) civilian transport aircraft, designed to:
- operate in remote and rugged regions,
- land on short and unpaved airstrips, and
- provide reliable passenger and cargo service to isolated communities.
This makes the platform particularly suitable for archipelagic and mountainous countries such as Indonesia.
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