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)