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Navy to deploy 3 patrol vessels in eastern waters
On guard: Members of the Indonesian Navy stand in line in front of the KRI Layaran 854 patrol ship at Batu Ampar Port in Batam, Riau Islands, on Tuesday
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span class="inline inline-center">On guard: Members of the Indonesian Navy stand in line in front of the KRI Layaran 854 patrol ship at Batu Ampar Port in Batam, Riau Islands, on Tuesday. Navy chief of staff Adm. Ade Supandi inaugurated three patrol ships produced by Batam-based shipyard company PT Palindo Marine that will be deployed to the country’s east.(JP/Fadli)
The Indonesian Navy inaugurated three patrol vessels on Tuesday that will aid in efforts to tighten security in eastern Indonesia amid rampant illegal fishing practices in the area.
Navy chief of staff Adm. Ade Supandi said the new vessels, produced by PT Palindo Marine Batam in Riau Islands province, would be operated by the East Armada Command in Surabaya, East Java.
Ade said the new patrol vessels would replace older ones, the majority of which were PB 57 ships made in the 1980s, granted by other countries. “Now we have patrol ships made by our own manufacturer,” Ade said.
The names of the three new vessels are KRI Tatihu 853, KRI Layaran 854 and KRI Madidihang 855. Each measure 40 meters and come with 30-meter canons.
Ade said the government had spent around Rp 65 billion (US$4,888) for each vessel, excluding the weaponry. Their productions started on Nov. 11, 2015, while the sea trials were conducted on Sept. 23, 2016 before they were officially included in RI’s warships on Tuesday.
He said the Navy currently operated 15 high-speed patrol (PC) vessels with two different sizes — 40-m and 60-m.
With the inauguration of the three new high-speed patrol vessels, he said, the total number of 40-m high-speed patrol vessels stood at 18. They are all located on the Navy’s 14 main bases across 14 provinces.
“We aim to provide each naval base [Lantamal] with three high-speed patrol ships by 2024, so by that time, the total number of high-speed patrol vessels will reach 42,” Ade said.
He added that the allocation of patrol vessels would be conducted evenly between the two naval commands — the west and the east. Priority will be given to border areas in an attempt to fight illegal fishing practices.
Among the border areas include Sulawesi, bordering the Philippines and Aru waters, which borders
Australia.
PT Palindo Marine president director Hermanto alias Ahak said his company had experience in manufacturing warships for Indonesia, as well as a few other
countries.
“We prioritize local content for the production materials. They were produced by Indonesians. These are our own creations and we are proud of it,” Ahak said.
He also said the manufacturing of the vessels was jointly carried out with the Navy to ensure quality. “The production of these ships is proof of Indonesia’s role as the world’s maritime axis,”
Ahak added.
Aside from the three new high-speed patrol vessels, Ade said the Navy would also receive a combatant ship called PKR from state-owned shipbuilder PAL Indonesia this month.
