Navy to mothball six warships

Navy to mothball six warships

SURABAYA, East Java: Navy chief Adm. Bernard Kent Sondakh said on Thursday six aging warships would be mothballed in 2003.

"This year we will retire six warships due to their old age," he said after a ceremony to launch two new warships, the KRI Layang and KRI Tenggiri.

However, the weapons systems on the six warships will continue to be used to supplement the weapons of the new vessels, he said.

The KRI Tenggiri is a used ship from Australia, which was made in 1968 and has a length of 32.72 meters, width of six meters and maximum speed of 24 knots. It will be assigned to Western Fleet Command.

The second ship, the KRI Layang, made by Surabaya-based shipmaker PT PAL, has a length of 58.10 meters, width of 7.6 meters and maximum speed of 29.6 knots. It will be operated by Eastern Fleet Command.

Indonesian Military Chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said in a written message that although one of the ships was a used vessel, it was useful for guarding Indonesian waters.

Kent said the Navy would prioritize the purchase of patrol boats rather than warships to help secure the national waters.

"The country is now facing security threats rather than the threat of war," he said. -- Antara