Navy goes ballistic over missile project<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Navy is sponsoring the development of the first
\nlocally made missile as part of a program to develop an
\nindigenous defense industry.<\/p>\n
In cooperation with the National Aeronautics and Space Agency
\n(LAPAN) and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), the Navy
\nhas already paid out a total of Rp 25 billion (US$27 million) to
\nfinance a one-year study into the project. The first prototype of
\nthe missile is expected to be ready in 2006.<\/p>\n
\"I'm making the project one of my priorities as we (the Navy)
\nhave been relying far too much on other countries to supply our
\nweaponry. And given the embargo (imposed by the U.S. and its
\nallies), we can't even maintain our equipment,\" Navy Chief of
\nStaff Bernard Kent Sondakh told the press after he and LAPAN
\nPresident Mahdi Kartasasmita signed an MoU on the missile project
\non Monday.<\/p>\n
Bernard declined to disclose the cost of developing the
\nmissile, nor the number of units that would eventually be
\nprocured.<\/p>\n
\"Basically, the missiles will be installed on our patrol boats
\nand warships so that they will be able to defend our vast
\nmaritime territory,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Mahdi said that LAPAN had modified some types of
\nmissiles in the past in collaboration with a number of overseas
\ncountries, but the current project \"will be the first ever
\nlocally made missile. It's range will be up to 25 kilometers.\"<\/p>\n
The missile will be called the Sondakh, named in honor of the
\nNavy chief of staff.<\/p>\n
For years, Indonesia has procured its defense equipment from
\nthe United States and France.<\/p>\n
Efforts to diversify potential supplier countries recently
\nstarted after the Indonesian Military (TNI) faced difficulties in
\nsecuring military equipment following the imposition of an
\nembargo by the United States in 1999 following the mayhem in East
\nTimor during and after the independence vote there.<\/p>\n
In the past, LAPAN developed a number of missiles as part of
\nthe Kartika Project, which was launched by the country's first
\npresident, Soekarno, in the 1960s.<\/p>\n
At the time, the project raised the hackles of several Western
\ncountries as Indonesia tended to side with the East Bloc.<\/p>\n
\"It must be underlined that the current project is far from
\nbeing offensive. No, we'll never be like that. It is merely
\nmotivated by our defense interests,\" Bernard said.<\/p>\n
As part of the project, the Navy has also invited arms
\nproducer PT Pindad and aerospace company PT Dirgantara
\nIndonesian, both located in Bandung, West Java, and the National
\nElectronics Institute (LEN), to participate.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/navy-goes-ballistic-over-missile-project-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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