Navy turns down Libyan ships

Navy turns down Libyan ships

JAKARTA: Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Bernard Kent Sondakh
turned down on Monday a donation of a number of warships from
Libya, saying that most of them were already very old.

"Most of them are aged 25 years or more. We couldn't afford
their maintenance," he said after a Naval leadership meeting at
its headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta.

Sondakh said the Navy had learned that it was inefficient to
use old ships, referring to the government's decision to import
39 warships from the former East Germany in the early 1990s.

Libyan President Moammar Qaddafi is due to arrive here next
month. He is expected to deliver unspecified donations,
reportedly including warships, to Indonesia.

The Navy is seeking to improve its fleet, most of which
comprises ships over 25 years old that are no longer effective in
guarding the country's marine territory.

The Navy recently signed a contract with a Dutch ship
manufacturer for two new Corvettes. However, the Coordinating
Ministry for the Economy has suggested that it review its plan,
as the contract was not allocated in this year's budget. -- JP