India, RI begin joint naval patrols<\/p>\n
Agencies, New Delhi\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
India and Indonesia have begun joint naval patrols off the
\nAndaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal to check poaching, smuggling
\nand drug trafficking, the defense ministry said here Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The first of the joint patrols commenced Monday under an
\nagreement between the two navies signed in January last year, a
\nstatement said.<\/p>\n
\"It will also serve the valuable purpose of enhancing mutual
\nunderstanding and co-operation between the navies of two
\nneighboring countries of the region,\" it said.<\/p>\n
The patrol will be conducted by a warship and a patrol
\naircraft from each navy, an Indian navy spokesman said.<\/p>\n
The Indian navy will use a Trinkat class patrol vessel and
\nDornier aircraft, while a Parchim-I class ship and a Nomad
\naircraft will make up the Indonesian patrol, he said.<\/p>\n
The patrol will be led by the commander-in-chief of India's
\nTri-Service Command headquartered in the Andaman and Nicobar
\nislands and the commander of Western Fleet Command of the
\nIndonesian Navy, the statement said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Indonesian Navy spokesman Commodore Sugeng Waluyo
\ncalled the arrangement a collaborative venture between the navies
\nof the two countries to survey the sea in the border areas,
\nespecially around the Andaman and Rondo islands.<\/p>\n
Sugeng said that the Indonesian Navy had sent officers from
\nits hydrography department to participate in the one-month joint
\nsurvey.<\/p>\n
\"Neither Indonesia nor India have never surveyed the waters
\nbetween these two islands ... The results of this project will be
\nused as a reference for safe navigation,\" Sugeng told The Jakarta
\nPost.<\/p>\n
India is also providing an escort for ships passing through
\nthe Indian Ocean and bound for Southeast Asia through the Malacca
\nStraits, between Malaysia and Indonesia.<\/p>\n
According to Indian experts, the Malacca Straits is the second
\nbusiest sea lane in the world and the huge amount of oil passing
\nthrough it from the Persian Gulf to Southeast Asia and Japan
\nmakes it highly vulnerable to terrorist threats.<\/p>\n
The escort service began in April after an agreement between
\nthe Indian and U.S. navies, reached after several rounds of
\nconsultations with Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia and other
\nnearby countries, the spokesman said.<\/p>\n
Under the agreement, the escort duties are divided between the
\nIndian and U.S. navies for a period of six months each.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/india-ri-begin-joint-naval-patrols-1447893297",
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