RI to buy sub from Germany

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)