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Marines' weapons almost as old as they are
PROUD TRADITION: Marines, carrying diving equipment, line up during a ceremony to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the Marines in Jakarta on Tuesday
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PROUD TRADITION: Marines, carrying diving equipment, line up during a ceremony to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the Marines in Jakarta on Tuesday. (JP/J. Adiguna)
The Marines celebrated their 63rd anniversary here Tuesday, with a military demonstration and parade displaying, among other things, their aging equipment.
"You could see during the Marines' parade that our armory is old. The tanks -- marked BTR 50 and PT 76 -- were produced in 1958, and also MSK 62 and Retro 88, which are just as old," Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno told journalists after the parade.
The Marines are equipped with tanks, air defense instruments and transport vehicles, mostly produced in the Soviet Union in the 1960s.
"We keep everything in good condition, but we can't guarantee that they can be operated forever," Tedjo said. "We need to modernize the Marines' equipment and weaponry."
He said the advanced development of defense technology worldwide would force Indonesia to gradually upgrade its Marines' armory. As a consequence, the Marines need to become accustomed to the new technology.
The Navy has said it needs at least US$4.5 billion to procure the equipment necessary for upgrading its weaponry but only $1.9 billion has been allocated in the current state budget.
Currently, the bulk of the money for the Indonesian Military goes to routine expenditure such as payroll.
Tedjo said there would be a 15 percent increase in salaries next year.
"We will allocate the salary increase from the existing budget. Consequently, the Navy's spending will shrink. With the remaining funds, we will have to prioritize what the Navy needs the most," he said.
The Marines is a vital component of the Navy because of its military operations on land, air and sea. The corps, which has 15,000 soldiers, is prepared to execute military and peacekeeping operations, as well as to assist in disaster alleviation.
"For our border operations, the Navy has consigned five to six fleets to guard our sea borders. If there are trespassers, we will warn them and escort them out of our territory," Tedjo said.
The Marines guard the outer islands of Indonesia, such as Ambalat, Brass, Damarote and Faneldo islands. (pmf)
