RI to buy sub from Germany

JAKARTA (JP): Rear Admiral Arief Kushariadi announced yesterday that the Indonesia Navy is planning to buy another submarine from Germany.

"God willing, we will get another submarine from Germany next year," the Antara news agency quoted Arief as saying on the Cakra-401 submarine in the Java sea.

He said the submarine was expected to be the same as the Cakra and Nanggala, two submarines used by the Navy that were also built by Germany. "We already have the skills to man them," he said.

Arief did not give the cost or the expected date of arrival, but said that the Navy needs at least 12 submarines.

Arief was on board the Cakra for an inspection after the submarine was overhauled at the dock of state-owned shipbuilding company PT PAL in Surabaya. The submarine made a five-hour trip from Karimun Jawa Island in Central Java to Cirebon, West Java.

Arief also said the Navy will purchase a landing ship tanker from the United States with a capacity to transport 100 trucks.

The Navy in 1994 purchased 14 landing vessels that were formerly part of the East German navy. The vessels were among the 39 warships that were purchased by Indonesia. (swe)