TNI to build submarine base in C. Sulawesi
Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Palu, Central Sulawesi | Archipelago | Fri, August 10 2012, 10:59 PM
Palu Navy Base Commander, Col. Marine Budi Utomo, said Friday that the Indonesian Military (TNI) would soon build a submarine base at the Palu Bay in Central Sulawesi.
“We chose the Palu Bay as the base because the waters there are the deepest in Indonesia. The depths reach 400 meters, while the waters near Java only reach 60 meters,” Budi said after the tarawih (Ramadhan evening prayer) onboard the Navy’s KRI Makassar ship in Palu on Friday.
The Navy’s KRI Lauser ship will conduct thorough research around the area after the Idul Fitri holiday, Budi said.
During its first observations, the KRI Makassar; with a length of 122 meters, 22 meters width and a height of 30 meters, successfully docked at the base without problem. This ship could carry 35 war tanks.
“The KRI Makassar is used to secure the areas of the second Archipelagic Sea Lanes of Indonesia (ALKI II) and the sea block in Ambalat in the waters off Sulawesi,” he said.
Central Sulawesi Governor Longky Djanggola said the regional administration had provided three-hectares of land to build the base, as well as expanding the dock and dormitory areas. (fzm)
