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Navy ready to modernize warship fleet
The Indonesian Navy is ready to modernize its fleet of warships and aircraft in 2010 as part of its effort to fulfill the minimum essential force (MEF) capability
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he Indonesian Navy is ready to modernize its fleet of warships and aircraft in 2010 as part of its effort to fulfill the minimum essential force (MEF) capability.
Navy chief of staff Vice Adm. Agus Suhartono said Tuesday the MEF concept was designed to fulfill core duties and ensure certain capabilities to face threats in defending the state ideology and territorial integrity, protecting the nation’s honor and safety, and enforcing the law in Indonesian waters when a threat may be larger than the available force.
To reach the MEF capability, Agus said the Navy had three strategies, to procure new weaponry systems by prioritizing domestic strategic industries, increasing the capabilities of existing systems and phasing out systems that are no longer effective.
“We will be procuring corvettes, landing ship tanks [LSTs], missile-equipped fast boats [KCR], trimaran KCR and training ship,” he said.
“As for airplanes, a contract has been signed to procure three CN-235 maritime patrol aircraft.”
Agus was speaking at a press conference on the Navy’s performance in 2009 and plans for the coming year.
He told The Jakarta Post the Navy would replace the KRI Dewa Ruci with a new and longer tall ship.
“The new tall ship will be 105 meters long and the procurement is currently being processed,” he said.
Made in Germany, the barquentine entered service with the Indonesian Navy in 1953.
Agus also said 35 units of Russian-made BMP-3F amphibious tanks would be deployed in 2010.
As for submarines, he said the President has decided to consider the government’s financial condition, but said it was expected that two submarines would be purchased in 2014.
Agus told the conference the Navy managed to secure some Rp 13.8 trillion in potential state losses by preventing illegal activities.
The figure is slightly higher than 2008’s figure of Rp 13.7 trillion.
He said Rp 2.4 trillion was saved from illegal fishing, Rp 52.4 billion from illegal logging and Rp 11.3 trillion from various cases including commodities such as granite, coal, tin, fuel, cement, sand and crude palm oil.
Agus said such sea security duties were part of the Navy’s military operations in addition to war responsibilities.
“The Navy is also involved in diplomatic duty to support the government’s foreign policy, including goodwill missions, sending officers for training abroad and exercises with foreign navies,” he told the conference.
“We also send our personnel and task force to UN missions in Congo, Lebanon, Nepal and Somalia.”
The SIGMA-class KRI Diponegoro has served a six-month monitoring mission under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon’s Maritime Task Force.
“We are ready to send KRI Frans Kaisiepo to Lebanon pending orders from the Indonesian Military headquarters,” Agus told the Post.
The press conference was closed with a shooting competition for Navy officers, chief editors, producers and reporters.
