F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters helped sink the Indonesian frigate Slamet Riyadi - strikes were carried out with Exocet MM40 Block 3, C-802, C-705 missiles and M117/MK-12 bombs

The Indonesian Navy has sent its own ship to the bottom of the Java Sea. French and Chinese missiles along with American bombs sank the decommissioned frigate KRI Slamet Riyadi.

Here's What We Know

The decommissioned ship went down during the SINKEX exercise late last month. Nearly two dozen warships, fighter jets, helicopters and transport aircraft took part in the event.

Four types of munitions were used to sink the KRI Slamet Riyadi frigate. The KRI Tombak strike ship fired Chinese C-705 missiles. The frigate KRI Yos Sudarso (353) struck with C-802 missiles, also Chinese-made.

Indonesian Navy frigates KRI R.E. Martadinata (331) and KRI John Lie (358) launched French Exocet missiles. The final point was made by fourth-generation Indonesian Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters with flight numbers TS-1601 and TS-1602.

Both aircraft used American M117/MK-12 bombs. As a result of the precision hits, the frigate split into three pieces and went to the bottom. Had it survived, the ships KRI Abdul Halim Perdanakusuma (355) and KRI Sampari (628) would have struck further with C-802 and C-705 missiles.

The destroyed vessel was purchased by Indonesia in the 1980s from the Netherlands. After the acquisition, the 113-metre Van Speijk-class frigate was renamed KRI Slamet Riyadi in honour of Indonesia's national hero who fought in the country's war of independence from 1945-1949.

The frigate was in service with the Indonesian Navy for more than 30 years. The service decommissioned KRI Slamet Riyadi in August 2019. The main weapon in the form of the 76mm OTO Melara gun has been refurbished and is now in use at the Indonesian Navy's artillery range on Java Island.

Source: Naval News