The new hospital auxiliary ship (BRS) made by PT PAL Indonesia (Persero) launched from the dock at Semarang Harbor on Thursday, 7 January. The BRS ship ordered by Indonesia Navy (TNI-AL) was officially named KRI dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo-991.

Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy (KSAL) Laksamana Yudo Margono said the name of the ship was taken from the name of a national hero who was a popular doctor in the community as a friendly, generous and a pioneer of the founding of the Budi Utomo organization. "KRI dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo-991 is expected to carry out its function in other military operations other than war," he said.

The launch of the ship was indicated by a button press by the KSAL which activated the docking pump system. Sea water inundated the docking pool with a capacity of 50,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT). KRI dr. Wahidin is ready to sail into the sea once the water is full. The BRS ship was developed using landing platform dock (LPD) type ship design technology. This design is a technology development that has been patented by PT PAL Indonesia.

KRI dr Wahidin Sudirohusodo has a length of 124 meters, a width of 21.8 meters, and a displacement of 7,290 tons. This ship is capable of traveling with a maximum speed of 18 knots, a cruising speed of 14 knots, and an economic speed of 12 knots (22 km per hour), and has the ability to sail for up to 30 full days with a range of 10,000 nautical miles. The capacity of the total personnel carrying capacity is 643 people including 159 patients.

This capability is supported by outpatient polyclinic facilities (general, eye, dental, etc.), emergency rooms, operating rooms, inpatient rooms, and radiology units, CT Scan and X-Ray equipment, to isolation rooms for handling infectious outbreaks such as COVID-19. Mobility for the implementation of medical evacuation missions is supported by the ability to transport medical helicopters, ambulance boats and landing craft vehicle personnel (LCVP).

KRI dr. Wahidin's BRS ship is not the only ship belonging to the Indonesian Navy that functions as a hospital. The Indonesian Navy previously owned the KRI dr. Soeharso and KRI Semarang (594).

Those ships are indeed a support vessel for military war operations (OMP) but can be used in military operations other than war (OMSP) during peacetime. BRS ships can carry out operational tasks to help natural disasters, evacuation, and humanitarian assistance as well as assist search and rescue in OMSP missions based on Indonesian National Defense Force (TNI) Law Number 34 of 2004. BRS ships also have the capability to carry out international diplomacy missions.

The function of the BRS ships fits perfectly with Indonesia's maritime characteristics and insight. Indonesia as an archipelago located on the ring of fire is vulnerable to natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes which can be followed by secondary disasters such as tsunami and others disasters. The BRS ship is mobile and can be moved at any time to disaster-affected areas to carry out disaster emergency response activities.

KRI dr Soeharso's has been on a humanitarian mission operation in Timor Leste in early 2016 which coincided with President Joko Widodo's state visit. KRI dr. Soeharso conducted health service activities for the people of Timor Leste and they welcomed them with great enthusiasm.

Goodwill missions abroad are one of the important tasks of the Indonesian Navy. The mission of Naval Diplomacy is an implementation of the conception of Confidence Building Measures (CBM). CBM is an effort to create mutual trust between two international actors, namely between countries. There are several variables that can be used to promote CBM like communication, restrictions, transparency, and verification.

KRI dr. Soeharso's health service in Timor Leste is a form of communication effort to create CBM between Indonesia and Timor Leste. KRI dr Soeharso managed to carry out its duties properly to create mutual trust. Meanwhile, KRI Semarang-594 which has also the function of BRS is the work of the nation's children built by PT PAL Indonesia and handed over to the Indonesian Navy on 21 January 2019 at the Ujung Koarmada II Pier in Surabaya. The ship strengthened the defense equipment of the Koarmada I under the Amphibious Ship Unit.

These ships have a function to assist military distribution in terms of logistics, military equipment and supplies, and function as BRS ships for natural disaster relief and emergency response including special evacuations related to COVID-19.

KRI Semarang-594 has carried out a number of humanitarian missions in accordance with its function, such as picking up 188 Indonesian citizens from the World Dream Cruise Ship who have completed their observation on Sebaru Island, Thousand Islands, heading to Kolinlamil Pier, Tanjung Priok, Jakarta on 14 March 2020. KRI Semarang-594 also had a mission to "pick up" the hand sanitizer concentrate aid as much as 2,100 liters from the Singapore Government on 8 April 2020.

Writer: Eri Sutrisno
Editor: Putut Tri Husodo/ Ratna Nuraini/ Elvira Inda Sari
Translator: Irvina Falah