Navy Spokesperson Clarifies Indonesian Warship's Passage Through Multiple Countries

The Head of the Indonesian Navy Information Service (Kadispenal), First Admiral Tunggul, has confirmed that the journey of the Indonesian warship KRI I Gusti Ngurah Rai-332, which is participating in the ‘EXERCISE ORRUDA’ military drill in Vladivostok, Russia, and will pass through several countries before returning home, is not for combat training. “This activity is a common practice conducted between navies when a ship passes through a region and is not intended as combat training,” Tunggul said in a written statement on Wednesday (12/8). “A passing exercise is a form of interaction to build communication, trust, good relations, and a spirit of friendship between navies, while also supporting Indonesia’s maritime diplomacy,” the Kadispenal added. Tunggul added that the implementation of the passing exercise (Passex) is in line with the basic principles of Indonesia’s free and active foreign policy, which opens up space for cooperation, communication, and partnership openly and in a balanced manner with all countries without siding with any one geopolitical power bloc. Indonesia’s free and active foreign policy is said to provide opportunities for beneficial cooperation with any country, including activities with a number of nations. “The Passex being carried out is not war-fighting in nature, but rather a universal Navy tradition when passing through a country’s territorial waters. This Passex is also a goodwill engagement commonly carried out by navies around the world as a form of naval brotherhood and maritime diplomacy inherent to warships,” he stated. Vladivostok is located in the Russian Far East, west of the Sea of Japan. On the return journey, KRI I Gusti Ngurah Rai will conduct a sea passage through the waters of several countries such as Japan, South Korea, China, and a number of Southeast Asian nations, such as the Philippines or Vietnam, depending on the chosen route.