Warships assemble in the Jakarta Bay

Warships assemble in the Jakarta Bay

JAKARTA (JP): Seventy-two Indonesian and foreign warships,
from frigates to destroyers, assembled in Jakarta Bay yesterday
in perhaps one of the largest gatherings of naval forces seen
since the U.S led multinational forces in the Persian Gulf during
the war against Iraq in 1991.

The fleet review, inspected by President Soeharto, culminated
the Indonesian Navy's Arung Samudra 1995 event commemorating 50
years of independence.

The two other main events on the Arung Samudra agenda, the
tall ship and yacht races, finished last week.

President Soeharto, Vice President Try Sutrisno and other
dignitaries inspected the ships from the Indonesian Navy's
Barakuda and Kerapu respectively, both are fast patrol boats
built by the state shipyard PT PAL.

The slightly overcast weather did not dampen the spirit of the
fleet review, with some of the crew on board the Indonesian
warships chanting Merdeka (Freedom) to greet Soeharto and his
entourage.

Also on board the inspecting vessels were the 13 navy chiefs
of staff and dozens of senior naval officers from various other
countries invited for the occasion.

The dignitaries also sailed past 18 tall ships and over 100
yachts anchored off Tanjung Priok port.

On board the Barakuda, the Indonesian head of state presented
the President Soeharto Trophy to the captain of Dewa Ruci, the
Indonesian Navy's training sailing ship, which won the tall ship
race.

While sailing back to Tanjung Priok harbor after the
inspection, President Soeharto and the dignitaries were treated
to a golden formation flypast by helicopters based on Indonesian
and foreign warships.

The Indonesian Navy put virtually its entire fleet into the
review, including the KRI Oswald Siahaan, KRI Nanggala, KRI
Hasanuddin, KRI Imam Bonjol, and KRI Christina Martha Tiahahu.

According to the list provided by Arung Samudra organizers,
the foreign warships taking part included the USS Mobile Bay and
USS Rodney M. Davis from the United States, the HMS Sheffield and
HMS Brambeleaf from the United Kingdom, the HMAS Darwin, HMAS
Torrens, HMAS Wollongung and HMAS Whyala from Australia, the JDS
Mineyuki and JDS Hamayuke from Japan, the HrMS Van Nes and HrMS
Van Galen from the Netherlands, and the DD-116, FF-540 and AO-615
from China.

Brunei sent the KDB Waspada and KDB Seteria, while Italy sent
the San Agusto. New Zealand was represented by the HMNZS Waikato
and HMNZS Endeavour, Pakistan the PNS Nasr and PNS Shamshar, and
Thailand the HTMS Chad Praya and HTMS Kraburi. (emb)