Navy plans exercises in Ambalat

Navy plans exercises in Ambalat

Agence France-Presse, Jakarta

The Indonesian Navy will hold massive naval exercises off the eastern coast of Borneo, including in waters disputed with neighboring Malaysia, a Navy spokesman said on Tuesday.

The exercise, codenamed Armada Jaya XXY, will include a beach landing by marines in Sangata, just south of the border with Malaysia's Sabah state, and maneuvers in part of the Celebes Sea also claimed by Malaysia, Eastern Fleet Spokesman Lt. Col. Toni Syaiful told AFP.

Toni declined to describe the exercise as a "show of force."

Instead he quoted Navy Chief Admiral Slamet Subiyanto as saying Monday: "that is our own backyard, what is wrong in us conducting an exercise in our own territory?"

The exercises officially kicked off on Monday, but deployments to the area will only begin on Dec. 8. They would continue until Dec. 14, Toni added.

A total of 40 ships, two aircraft and two helicopters as well as 5,000 men from various Navy units, will take part in the exercise, which, according to him "is the largest exercise ever held" by Indonesia.

He said that the exercise was a simulation of an attack on the country by "enemy forces" and would include maneuvers in the waters above the Ambalat oil block in the Celebes Sea.

In April, warships from Indonesia and Malaysia collided with each other near the Ambalat block, but no serious damage resulted.

Tension between the two countries has increased since Malaysia granted permission to Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell Group to conduct exploration of the area last year.

Since then, the two countries have deployed warships to the disputed area and stepped up their respective patrols in the area.

"Although it was officially launched on Monday, the first stages would not involve troop and ship deployments, but concern problem analyzing, planning strategy and tactical moves and preparing for deployment," Toni said.