UMS's Nabara Combines Coast Guard Ship Technology with Javanese Culture at KKI 2026

The blend of shipbuilding technology and Javanese cultural identity is what sets Nabara apart, the ship prototype built by the Intelligence Maritime Development Center (IMDC) team at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS), at the 2026 Indonesian Ship Contest (Kontes Kapal Indonesia, KKI). The team competed in the final round held at Politeknik Negeri Bengkalis, Riau, from 14 to 17 September 2026.

Nabara stands for Nakula Bahtera Arunika. The ship was developed for the Electric Remote Control (ERC) category, an electric-powered ship prototype operated via a remote control system. UMS's participation in this category gave students a space to develop their skills in the design, construction, and testing of shipbuilding technology.

Nabara's development was led by Iqbal Zunan Nur Majid as team manager, together with seven members: Baihakhi, Dhimas Yudha, Dimas Prayoga, Itfaul, Fadil, Farzha, and Muflih. Throughout the research process and the competition, the team was supervised by Afif Faishal, S.T., M.T.

KKI 2026 carried the theme "Garda Maritim Nusantara: Tough, Responsive, and Independent Coast Guard Ship Technology Innovation for National Sovereignty." Through this theme, participants were challenged to present coast guard ship innovations supporting surveillance, security, and safety functions in the nation's waters.

Iqbal explained that Nabara's design features various pieces of coast guard equipment, such as a naval gun, radar, rapid-fire weaponry, and a temporary holding area, to represent its security function. It also includes a lifeboat and liferaft representing support equipment for search and rescue (SAR) operations at sea.

Alongside this technological approach, the team incorporated elements of Javanese art through batik kawung and batik parang motifs, as well as the wayang figure Nakula, on the ship's hull design. This touch sets Nabara apart visually while also bringing cultural identity into the students' engineering work.

According to Iqbal, the research and construction process took around three months. The stages began with designing the hull and superstructure using software, followed by manufacturing and component testing.

"The research and construction process took roughly three months, starting with designing the hull and superstructure using software, then manufacturing, and component testing," he explained, Wednesday (23/9/2026).

During the production process, the team faced several challenges that became points for evaluation. One was the use of PLA-based material for the ship's superstructure. Based on the team's experience, the material warped when exposed to heat for too long.

The finishing stage, particularly painting, also offered an important lesson. Iqbal acknowledged that research into the finishing process still needs to go deeper to improve the ship's final quality. Separately, battery selection required testing several products to ensure their specifications met the competition's requirements.

Challenges continued once the team arrived in Bengkalis. The heat, which felt different from Surakarta, along with the water conditions at the competition venue, became a concern in operating the ship. The team also repeatedly ran into the flexible shaft coming loose from the coupling, which hampered Nabara's performance.

Despite facing technical setbacks, the team kept pushing to perform at its best amid tight competition. According to the team's own record, Nabara briefly led the results in the endurance test before finishing that test in sixth place with a result of 12 laps at 2KL. That lap count was reported to be on par with the teams from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) and Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS).

"The atmosphere during the competition was very competitive," Iqbal said.

Meanwhile, in the Fun Race session, Nabara placed fourth, behind the teams from Universitas Diponegoro (Undip), Universitas Indonesia (UI), and Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji (UMRAH).

For Iqbal, the experience serves as groundwork for strengthening the team's research and technical readiness. He believes this year's results show IMDC UMS's potential to compete more strongly, while also offering a clearer picture of what needs improving to reach the podium at the next competition.

The Nabara team at KKI 2026, Politeknik Negeri Bengkalis, Riau. Personal documentation.

Beyond the managerial and technical side of the team, the competition experience was also shared by Dimas Prayoga, the driver of the Nabara ship. According to him, the match ran both excitingly and challengingly, especially given the fairly hot and scorching weather conditions at the Politeknik Negeri Bengkalis venue.

"Yesterday's match was very exciting and full of challenges. Conditions at the Polbeng venue were really hot and scorching. We also ran into a fairly critical technical issue while running, where the ship's shaft suddenly came loose, so the team had to act quickly to handle it right there on the field," Dimas said.

That situation demanded both technical readiness and fast coordination among team members. For the team, the shaft failure was a key moment, since that component directly affects the propulsion system and the ship's performance during the race.

Dimas also highlighted the competitive atmosphere of KKI 2026, which he described as highly intense. Meeting and competing directly against dozens of delegations from various universities across Indonesia put considerable pressure on the Nabara team.

"The competitive atmosphere felt huge and incredibly intense. Going head-to-head with dozens of delegations from other major campuses at a national event brought a high level of competitive pressure, but at the same time it became a valuable experience and a source of pride for our team," he said.

According to him, that pressure actually turned into a valuable experience for the team to sharpen their decision-making, stay calm when facing technical setbacks, and maintain focus while the ship was on the track.

He also expressed appreciation to UMS for its support from the preparation stage through to the competition itself. That support included research funding, motivation, accommodation, and various other forms of assistance throughout the team's participation in KKI 2026.

"With full support from the university, combined with research and team cohesion, we're confident the Intelligence Maritime Development Center (IMDC) team can compete and secure a podium finish in the next competition," he concluded.

That experience stands as important capital for the IMDC UMS team to evaluate and refine, not only in terms of the ship's design and performance, but also the team's technical readiness in facing unexpected situations in the competition arena.

Writer: Maysali Sudarwati

Editor: Fika Annisa Sholihah

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid