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