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Navy to give 10 ships to Bakamla
Ade Supandi
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Ade Supandi. Antara
The Indonesian Navy said on Tuesday that it planned to hand over 10 Navy Patrol ships (KAL) to the Maritime Security Board (Bakamla) by the end of this year.
Navy chief of staff, Adm. Ade Supandi, said the 10 ships would require alterations before they could be used by Bakamla.
'There needs to be some adjustments because they will be used as civilian patrol boats and we must follow several protocol,' Ade told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
Ade said large weapons on the ships would be removed and replaced with those of a smaller caliber.
He said the 37-millimeter cannon on one of the ships, for example, would be replaced by a 12.7-millimeter one, which would be more appropriate for Bakamla's patrol activities.
The Navy also plans to set up a survey team to assess the condition of the 10 ships before they are handed over to Bakamla.
The 10 ships must obtain permits from the Defense Ministry and the Finance Ministry before being used.
'The process is still underway. We expect the 10 boats to be handed over later this year,' Ade said.
Ade was tight-lipped about which 10 ships would be handed over to the security board.
Today, the Navy operates no less than 317 Navy KAL and 151 warships (KRI), which include frigates, corvettes and fast-attack crafts.
The Navy also owns a pair of submarines; the KRI Cakra (401) and the KRI Nanggala (402). Three additional Changbogo submarines have been purchased and are being built in South Korea.
Unconfirmed reports said of the 317 ships, just 60 ships were currently operational, while some 50 vessels were on standby. The rest of the fleet is currently being serviced.
Of the 60 seaworthy ships, the Navy can only operate 15 due to fuel shortages.
Ade promised to help Bakamla boost the capacity of board's ability to operate the ships independently.
'We will teach them. But we can also temporarily deploy our own personnel to operate the boats. It depends on Bakamla,' the admiral said.
Bakamla urgently needs additional patrol boats to support its appointed task of securing Indonesia waters. Currently, Bakamla operates two ships; the KN Bintang Laut and the KN Singa Laut. Thirty new patrol ships being built.
Bakamla was established to boost sea patrol effectiveness in line with President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo goal to turn Indonesia into a maritime axis.
Currently, Bakamla is tasked with coordinating 12 institutions in the country's maritime sector, including the Navy, the Water Police, the Customs Office, the Immigration Agency, prosecutors' offices, the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Transportation Ministry.
Bakamla's operating chief, Commodore Wuspo Lukito, said the new agency was currently battling overlapping regulations and a lack of coordination among maritime stakeholders. Shortages in personnel and patrol boats have also limited the effectiveness of Bakamla in the short term.
