Indonesia to Improve Underwater Defense, US Ties

Jakarta Globe, Harry Suhartono & Nopporn Wong-Anan, June 06, 2010

A Kri Kakra-class submarine of Indonesia on a test run after a revamp by South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering at Okpo 21 February 2006. Indonesia has 2 submarines but hopes to buy 10 more. (AFP Photo/DSME)

Singapore. Indonesia plans to increase the size of its submarine fleet over the next two years to defend its territory as well as protect international shipping lanes, its defense minister said on Saturday.

Purnomo Yusgiantoro also told Reuters the country was discussing buying 10 more C-130 military transport aircraft from Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) but had not come to any agreement. Indonesia currently has two submarines.

Singapore put out a warning earlier this year about possible attacks on ships in the Malacca Strait, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes that lies between the city state, Indonesia and Malaysia and carries about 40 percent of global trade.

“We have several countries that we think are able to supply them (submarines). We want to make sure that it would be compatible to our needs as well as our sea (conditions),” Yusgiantoro said in an interview on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialog security conference in Singapore.

“They are very important in order for us to guard sea lanes. We are going to have that in a couple of years,” he said, without giving further details.

Yusgiantoro also said the government had earmarked funds in this year’s budget to modernize some of its 32 C-130s.

“We can use that (plane) not only to bring troops, but also for humanitarian missions. We are ready to buy but we are still in discussions with the seller.”

Indonesia set aside 42 trillion rupiah ($4.6 billion) in 2010 for defense spending, with most earmarked for operating expenditure for its 550,000-strong military force.

The country plans to boost its defense spending up to 1.5 percent of gross domestic product by 2014 from about 0.7-0.8 percent in 2010, among the lowest in the region.

Yusgiantoro held a meeting with U.S. defense Secretary Robert Gates on Friday, which he characterised as “very good”.

Indonesia is currently working to improve its military ties with the United States, including removing a ban on military training for its special forces, put in place over rights abuses blamed on elite troops.

“I think things will become more positive,” Yusgiantoro said, but he did not comment on when the ban was likely to be removed.

Yusgiantoro, a Catholic minister in the world’s most populous Muslim country, said his nation’s defense ties with Washington were akin to a marriage, which could be rocky at times.

“I don’t see any problem with our cooperation. But you know you always have little things going on, something like little arguments between you and your wife after she found a picture of another girl in your pocket,” he said.

Reuters

Indonesia plans to buy more submarines, C-130s

Reuters, By Harry Suhartono and Nopporn Wong-Anan, Sat Jun 5, 2010 10:27am EDT

SINGAPORE, June 5 (Reuters) - Indonesia plans to increase the size of its submarine fleet over the next two years to defend its territory as well as protect international shipping lanes, its defence minister said on Saturday.

Purnomo Yusgiantoro also told Reuters the country was discussing buying 10 more C-130 military transport aircraft from Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) but had not come to any agreement.

Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago with more than 17,000 islands, lies across shipping lanes between the Indian and Pacific oceans as well as between Asia and Australia, heavily used for transporting commodities and energy. It currently has two submarines.

Singapore put out a warning earlier this year about possible attacks on ships in the Malacca Strait, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes that lies between the city state, Indonesia and Malaysia and carries about 40 percent of global trade. [ID:nSGE62409F]

"We have several countries that we think are able to supply them (submarines). We want to make sure that it would be compatible to our needs as well as our sea (conditions)," Yusgiantoro said in an interview on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference in Singapore.

"They are very important in order for us to guard sea lanes. We are going to have that in a couple of years," he said, without giving further details.

Yusgiantoro also said the government had earmarked funds in this year's budget to modernise some of its 32 C-130s.

"We can use that (plane) not only to bring troops, but also for humanitarian missions. We are ready to buy but we are still in discussions with the seller."

Indonesia set aside 42 trillion rupiah ($4.6 billion) in 2010 for defence spending, with most earmarked for operating expenditure for its 550,000-strong military force.

The country plans to boost its defence spending up to 1.5 percent of gross domestic product by 2014 from about 0.7-0.8 percent in 2010, among the lowest in the region.

Yusgiantoro held a meeting with U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates on Friday, which he characterised as "very good".

Indonesia is currently working to improve its military ties with the United States, including removing a ban on military training for its special forces, put in place over rights abuses blamed on elite troops.

"I think things will become more positive," Yusgiantoro said, but he did not comment on when the ban was likely to be removed.

Yusgiantoro, a Catholic minister in the world's most populous Muslim country, said his nation's defence ties with Washington were akin to a marriage, which could be rocky at times.

"I don't see any problem with our cooperation. But you know you always have little things going on, something like little arguments between you and your wife after she found a picture of another girl in your pocket," he said.

Two Indonesian sailors become heroes in South Korea

Antara News, Thursday, April 22, 2010 15:36 WIB

Seoul (ANTARA News) - Two Indonesian sailors are deemed heroes for South Korea after their trawler went down, along with five other South Korean sailors, following a collision with a Cambodian cargo ship in the West Sea, a local newspaper said Wednesday.

The trawler, Geumyang No. 20 with those Indonesian sailors working on it, was involved in the rescue operation for the victims of the sunken South Korean naval ship, Cheonan, 20 years ago. Seven victims are still missing until Wednesday, including an Indonesian and two others had been found dead.

The two Indonesian sailors, Lambang Nurcahyo (36) who has been found dead, another one Yusuf Harefa (36) who is still missing. The government of South Korea has through its embassy in Jakarta has contacted their family members in Indonesia.

The Korea Times, in its editorial, Wednesday, regrets the fact that the nation and government are mourning the loss of the fallen 46 victims of the sunken naval ship Cheonan, but have forgotten Geumyang`s sailors. The naval ship sank after an as yet still need to be explained the reason what has made it went down. Analyzes have been circulated in this country, saying it sunken by a North Korean torpedo sent from a submarine.

The South Korean government, through its embassy in Jakarta, has contacted the family members of the victims and expressed deep regrets over the tragedy. The government says both Korean and Indonesian victims will get the same treatment in accordance with the law.

The two Indonesian sailors were part of some 500,000 Indonesian migrant workers in South Korea presently.

Navy ready to modernize warship fleet

Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 12/30/2009 8:59 AM

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.

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.

Navy to ground 27 old war machines

The Jakarta Post | Mon, 12/21/2009 3:01 PM

The Indonesian Navy is to ground six warships and 21 Nomad surveillance planes as part of its gradual phasing-out of its aging war machines.

Navy chief Vice Adm. Agus Suhartono said on Monday the armed force would maintain six other Nomad planes as training aircraft for cadets. It has also struck a deal worth US$80 million to purchase three maritime patrol aircraft from state aircraft maker PT Dirgantara Indonesia (DI) as replacements for the old Nomads.

“The three CN-235 maritime patrol planes and the six remaining Nomads [are] adequate to conduct surveillance duties,” Agus told Antara news agency.

He said PT DI would develop a more sophisticated surveillance aircraft for the Navy.

“In the future the aircraft [will be] equipped with anti-submarine technology, depending on equipment, operational needs and technical specifications that we want,” Agus said.

The Navy has not decided whether to replace the six US-built warships, which have been in service for over 20 years.

Nanggala Submarine Repaired in South Korea

Tempo Interactive, Wednesday, 16 December, 2009 | 16:33 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Surabaya:To improve its fighting capability, the Indonesian Navy will send the Nanggala Submarine 402 to South Korea for repairs and additional weaponry.

“We sent the Nanggala Submarine on Tuesday for an overhaul,” said Eastern Armada Information Office chief, Lt. Col. Marine Toni Syaiful in his press release on Wednesday (16/12).

According to Toni, the Nanggala is the second submarine to be repaired in South Korea after the Cakra-401 battleship.

The Nanggala is a 209/1300-type submarine that is widely used by the navy worldwide. In Indonesia, the 1981 West Germany-made submarine was used for joint practices with the United States in 2002 and 2004.

The Nanggala Submarine was also used for a joint maritime operation in the Indian Ocean in 2004, when it managed to sink the ex-Rakata Ship.

The Nanggala submarine is the Indonesian Navy’s major battleship in its armada. It is equipped with a low-speed, Siemens’ electrical ship generator without a gear that is able to distribute direct power through a shaft to the submarine’s propellers. The total power distributed is 5000 horse power shaft.

ROHMAN TAUFIQ

Vietnam orders submarines and warplanes from Russia

BBC News, By Nga Pham, BBC Vietnamese Service

Vietnam has ordered six of the Russian Kilo class submarines

Vietnam has signed billion-dollar contracts to buy submarines and fighter jets from Russia, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has announced in Moscow.

The deals make Vietnam one of the key clients of the Russian arms industry.

The weapons purchases come at a time when disputes over sovereignty are increasing in the South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea.

Vietnam, China and other countries have competing claims over potentially oil and gas-rich island chains there.

"Vietnam signed contracts for the purchases of submarines and planes from the Russian side," the Vietnamese prime minister said, without elaborating.

Russian agency Interfax quoted unnamed sources as saying that Hanoi was to buy six diesel-electric Kilo-class submarines worth $2bn (£1.2bn).

Vietnam is already awaiting the delivery of eight Sukhoi Su-30MK2 fighter jets from Russia in 2010. It is considering ordering 12 more, Interfax quoted another Russian source as saying.

A regional defence analyst said the rising tension in the South China Sea was "clearly a source of concern" to Hanoi.

The submarine acquisition "would increase [Vietnam's] negotiating power in the maritime disputes", Professor Carlyle Thayer of the Australian Defence Force Academy said.

Still a long wait until Navy can operate more submarines

Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 12/07/2009 11:21 AM

Because of limited government budget allocations, the Indonesian Navy will have to wait for up to four years before procuring two additional submarines to strengthen the current fleet of two submarines.

"This isn't our call because we have to coordinate with the Indonesian Military *TNI*, the Defense Ministry and the government," Navy Chief of Staff Vice Adm. Agus Suhartono was quoted as saying by Antara news agency in Surabaya on Saturday.

"We have proposed the plan for quite some time now and the budget is still being studied. Hopefully, the two submarines can be procured by 2014," he said.

Agus was speaking at the sidelines of a ceremony to commemorate Fleet Day at the Navy's Eastern Fleet Command headquarters in Surabaya.

Agus said during the selection and assessment process, the Navy had singled out Italy, the Netherlands and Russia as potential suppliers of the two submarines.

"We will choose a country that can provide us with a product at a competitive price and offers better transfer of technology options," he said.

"The tender process will be open using a credit export financing scheme."

Each submarine is estimated to cost around Rp 3.5 trillion (US$371.85 million).

Agus added the two additional submarines will increase the Navy fleet's capabilities in securing Indonesian maritime territories.

Currently Indonesia operates the German-made U-209 class KRI Cakra and the KRI Nanggala submarines that were commissioned in 1981.

Indonesia first started using submarines in 1959 when two Russian-made Whiskey class submarines moored at the Tanjung Perak harbor in Surabaya.

Indonesia operated 12 Whiskey class submarines.

Before being replaced this year, former defense minister Juwono Sudarsono had narrowed the list of possible suppliers to South Korea and Russia.

Commenting on this, Navy chief spokesman Commodore Iskandar Sitompul said there might have been new assessments since "the Navy Chief of Staff mentioned *different potential suppliers*".

Iskandar said with such a challenging geography, Indonesia needed submarines to safeguard its maritime territories.

"Our closest neighbors also operate submarines," he told The Jakarta Post on Sunday, referring to Australia, Malaysia and Singapore.

"We need submarines to maintain a regional balance of power to secure peace."

Iskandar insisted the government was still prioritizing sectors such as education and health.

Two other countries in Southeast Asia also operate submarines.

Singapore currently has four Challenger class submarines, formerly the Swedish-made Sjoormen class. One submarine was procured in 1995 while the rest were acquired in 1997. These submarines were originally built for the Swedish Navy in the late 1960s.

Singapore added two Archer class (formerly known as Vastergotland class) submarines from Sweden in 2005. The submarines were built in the 1980s and were placed in reserve by the Swedish Navy.

The first submarine, RSS Archer, was launched on June 16 for sea trials and expected to return to Singapore in 2010.

Recently, Malaysia has just received its first of two French-made Scorpene class submarines.

Ordered in 2006, the KD Tunku Abdul Rahman was launched on Oct. 24, 2007 and arrived on Sept. 3 this year.

Meanwhile, the Royal Australian Navy has six Collins class submarines and plans to acquire 12 new submarines by 2025.

RI Navy to buy two submarines in 2011 or 2012

Monday, August 31, 2009 22:42 WIB

Surabaya (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Navy intends to procure two submarines in 2011 or 2012 at a total cost of about US$700 million, its chief, Admiral Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno, said here Monday.

(istimewa/ANTARA)

"The procurement plan for execution in 2011 or 2012 is currently being worked out by the defense ministry," Parijanto told the press after installing a new chief for the Indonesian navy`s Eastern Fleet Command.

"We still have to decide from which country we will buy the submarines and also have yet to determine their specifications. We may buy them from Korea, France or Russia," he said.

At present, the Indonesian navy had two German-made submarines but they were of very old vintage, he said, adding one of them some time ago underwent an overhaul, and the other now would follow suit soon.

The navy had yet to determine the specifications of the two yet-to-be-purchased submarines but it was clear that they must have capabilities on a par with or , if possible exceeding, those of subamrines owned by neighboring countries, he said.

It was hoped the additional submarines would enable the navy to guard Indonesia`s vast maritime territory in a more effective way, the navy chief said.

Meanwhile, the post of chief of the navy`s Eastern Fleet Command based in Surabaya was transferred from Rear Admiral Lili Supramono to Commodore Ignatius Dadiek Surarto who was previously commander of the main naval base in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

Rear Admiral Lili Supramono was to be reassigned as a special assistant to the navy chief of staff at the navy`s headquarters.

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RI yet to choose prospective submarine supplier