'No political motives behind ship's visit'
JAKARTA (JP): The commander of the French helicopter carrier Jeanne d'Arc, Captain Bruno Sifantus, said the ship's current visit to Indonesia had no political motives.
Sifantus said here Thursday the aircraft carrier was on a goodwill mission designed to enrich the crew's South East Asia experience and knowledge.
The 12,000-ton, 182-meter long and 24-meter wide warship, sailed into Jakarta's Tanjung Priok port Thursday morning.
The commander is scheduled to pay courtesy calls on Navy Chief Arief Kushariadi, North Jakarta Mayor Soeprawito, Commander of Jakarta's Naval Base Commodore Haryo Armanto and Western Fleet Commander Rear Admiral Achmad Sutjipto, according to Antara.
The ship carries a crew of 798, including 45 officers, 270 noncommissioned officers and 113 naval cadets. The complement includes eight female officers.
Twenty-four of the 113 cadets come from South Africa, Belgium, Congo, Cameroon, Gabon, Lebanon, Morocco, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Singapore and Tunisia.
Jeanne d'Arc left the Brest military port in Western France on November 5, 1996 for a round-the-world cruise and is scheduled to arrive back in Brest on March 26, 1997.
The commander said that on her visits to various countries, including Indonesia, Jeanne d'Arc served as a source of practical study for the French maritime academy members after their two years of theoretical education.
Before arriving in Indonesia, the carrier called at Singapore, and after leaving Tanjung Priok on February 4 she will proceed to Cochin in India through the Indian Ocean.
Jeanne d'Arc is also scheduled to visit Malaysia and the Philippines, Lebanon, Italy and Greece and Saudi Arabia, Oman and Pakistan.
In wartime Jeanne d'Arc serves as an antisubmarine helicopter carrier.
The ship carries seven helicopters; two SA 319 B Alouettes III, two AS 532 Cougars, known in Indonesia as Super Pumas, and three SA 342 Gazelles.
The carrier is also equipped with highly sophisticated radar, six Exocet missile launchers and four 100-mm gun turrets.
Females
The eight female officers on board Jeanne d'Arc are happy with their lot.
"We get equal treatment", said Sophie Citron, a 25-year-old officer cadet. "My career as a French naval officer has taken me everywhere. The Jeanne d'Arc has taken me to almost 13 countries around the world."
"The only difference is that they have separate quarters from the guys," said Capt. Sifantus,.
Female officers are included in the ship's training program but a regulation limits their number to ten.
Citron said the regulation was not meant to discriminate against them. "It's just because the qualification to be a sailor in the navy is extremely difficult", she explained.
After graduation from Jeanne d'Arc, Citron and her fellow officers will be assigned to other ships depending on their skills. They will serve as professional naval officers, not conscripts.
"Last year we had on Indonesian officer on board training," Sifantus said. "And the possibility of another is high, but it will depend on the two countries reaching an agreement." (12)