Navy turns down Libyan ships<\/p>\n
JAKARTA: Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Bernard Kent Sondakh
\nturned down on Monday a donation of a number of warships from
\nLibya, saying that most of them were already very old.<\/p>\n
\"Most of them are aged 25 years or more. We couldn't afford
\ntheir maintenance,\" he said after a Naval leadership meeting at
\nits headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Sondakh said the Navy had learned that it was inefficient to
\nuse old ships, referring to the government's decision to import
\n39 warships from the former East Germany in the early 1990s.<\/p>\n
Libyan President Moammar Qaddafi is due to arrive here next
\nmonth. He is expected to deliver unspecified donations,
\nreportedly including warships, to Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The Navy is seeking to improve its fleet, most of which
\ncomprises ships over 25 years old that are no longer effective in
\nguarding the country's marine territory.<\/p>\n
The Navy recently signed a contract with a Dutch ship
\nmanufacturer for two new Corvettes. However, the Coordinating
\nMinistry for the Economy has suggested that it review its plan,
\nas the contract was not allocated in this year's budget. -- JP<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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