Navy needs more ships, aircraft to safeguard waters
Navy needs more ships, aircraft to safeguard waters
SEMARANG (JP): Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Achmad Sutjipto said
Indonesia required at least 239 patrol ships and 114 aircraft to
safeguard its waters.
Sutjipto said in a written statement presented during a
seminar on maritime affairs at Diponegoro University here on
Thursday, that acquiring that number of ships and aircraft would
be costly.
"We hope to have around 160 patrol ships of various types and
64 aircraft, but the crisis makes it impossible for the
government to afford that," Sutjipto said in the statement read
by Commodore Budiman Joko Said.
Sutjipto was in Surabaya on Thursday to receive a patrol boat
produced by state ship manufacturer PT PAL.
The Navy fleet is made up of 114 ships and 53 aircraft of
various types.
There are many areas in Indonesia which are vulnerable to
hijacking and illegal fishing, the statement read, including off
the west coast of Sumatra, the Strait of Malacca, Singapore
Strait, Natuna, Bangka, Belitung, the waters around Serutu island
and the waters around Sulawesi, Banda, Maluku, Arafuru and Irian
Jaya.
"With very limited equipment, the Navy has been trying to do
its best to protect Indonesian waters," Sutjipto said.
From April 1, 1999, to Jan. 31 this year, the Navy intercepted
148 foreign ships illegally operating in Indonesian waters. "They
were given strong warnings," Sutjipto said.
Illegal fishing by foreign ships cost Indonesia some US$5
billion from 1998 to 1999.
The patrol boat handed over to Sutjipto in Surabaya is a FBP
57 Navy V class. Named KRI Todak, the boat was one of four
ordered by the Navy under a $260 million contract.
Also attending the ceremony in Surabaya were Minister of
Defense Juwono Sudarsono and PAL president Adwin H.
Suryohadiprojo.
"The second ship is scheduled to be handed over in September,"
Sutjipto said, adding that the construction of the other two
patrol boats would be completed within 35 months.
Each boat weighs 445 tons, is 58.1 meters in length and 7.62
meters in width. The boats can sail at a maximum speed of 29
knots with a maximum cruising range of 5,600 nautical miles, and
are equipped with advanced electronic systems.
Armed with 57mm and 40mm cannons, Sutjipto said in the future
the boats would be equipped with missiles.
Adwin said PT PAL, in cooperation with the Agency for the
Assessment of Technology, was developing warship and patrol ship
technology.
PAL sold a 18,000 deadweight ton dry cargo vessel and a 45,000
deadweight ton open hatch bulk carrier to Germany last year.
"PT PAL has also signed a 181 million deutsche mark deal with
the Indonesian Ministry of Communications and another 60 million
DM deal with a German company," Adwin said, declining to name the
Germany company.
During the same ceremony, Juwono said the country could only
allocate $1.9 million for defense annually. This amount, he said,
was equal to the daily defense expenditure by the U.S.
(sur/har/nur)