Indonesia sends warships to waters claimed by Malaysia

[pasukangeraktjepat]

Indonesia sends warships to waters claimed by Malaysia

Tue Mar 1,11:20 PM ET
[url="http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/my/addtomyyahoo3.gif"]http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/my/addtomyyahoo3.gif[/url] Asia - AFP





JAKARTA (AFP) - Indonesia has dispatched three warships to a maritime border area also claimed by Malaysia amid rising tensions in the Sulawesi Sea.

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AFP/File Photo
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The warships were now in the disputed area off the coast of Malaysia's Sabah state and the Indonesia's East Kalimantan province, Navy Spokesman First Admiral Abdul Maliki Yusuf told AFP.



A fourth ship will leave for the area later Wednesday, Yusuf said, adding that the navy was also considering sending a submarine to the area.



"It is normal for the Indonesian navy to conduct routine patrols at its borders but following the tension there, it is imperative that we also enforce our presence and sovereignty there," Yusuf said.



Tensions had risen between the countries since Malaysia's state oil company Petronas granted energy giant Shell a concession in the area on February 16.



Jakarta says the area is part of its territorial waters and some of the concession granted by Malaysia overlaps with one granted by the Indonesian government to Italy's ENI and the US company Unocal in the 1960s.



Yusuf also said he has received a report that a Malaysian military plane flew over Indonesia's territory.



The Indonesian government has sent a formal protest to Malaysia over the matter but Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi maintains that the concession is within his country's waters.



Indonesia and Malaysia previously disputed the ownership of two small islands in the Sulawesi Sea.

But in December 2002, the International Court of Justice concluded that the islands -- Ligitan and Sipadan off Borneo island -- belong to Malaysia

.....Our navy,TNI-AL, has sent 5 warships in the area.They are frigate KRI(Kapal Republik Indonesia/Republic of Indonesia Ships) Karel Satsuit Tubun,a dutch-made ship Van-Speijk class accompany with KRI Tongkol,an indonesian-made patrol boat,from Surabaya navy base and corvette KRI Nuku and KRI Wiratno,both of them german-made ship Parchim class accompany with KRI Rencong,a south korean-made patrol boat from Tarakan navy base.For recce-operation,Penerbal(Penerbangan Angkatan Laut/Navy Air Branch) flew two Nomad from Juwata Airport,Tarakan.
Malaysia has two warship in the area right now,TLDM KD Paus 3507 and KD Bauraq 3509.But they maybe will sent some of their italian-made Laksamana class corvette.KRI Wiratno also identified that malaysian recce air plane,Beechcraft B 200 T Superking has been come close to the ship when they do a routine patrol.
Our president,Mr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that Indonesia doesn't want to open conflict and will try to find a peaceful solution.Meanwhile malaysian PM,Mr Abdullah Badawi,said that malaysian govt.will answer Jakarta protest.

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[Awang se]

I thought the case is already close. i guess Indonesia don't want to back out empty handed.

Maybe we'll send an advance Jebat class missile frigate along with the Laksamana.

 

[Aussie Digger]

Methinks Indonesia will be in a world of hurt should a shooting war start up. It's naval vessels aren't exactly of the highest quality, and they won't be covered by any significant airpower.

The most recent reports I've read, indicate most of Indonesia's fighters are grounded or otherwise unserviceable and the funds to get them operational, have been diverted to Tsunami rebuilding efforts... In addition, the airforce has very few available weapon systems with which to arm their aircraft. The 4 SU-27/30's they bought a couple of years back, were purchased with no weapons at ALL...

 

[aaaditya]

i thought malaysia had acquired su-30mkm which they can effectively use in a maritime strike role.:coffee

 

[Aussie Digger]

Malaysia has ordered SU-30MKM but I don't think they've received any yet. They'd have to rely on their F/A-18D aircraft, which are of course excellent strike/maritime strike aircraft and probably their Hawk 208 fighter/strike aircraft...

 

[aaaditya]

hawk has limited range and weapon load to be of any effect in this case,what are the mpa's in malaysian airforce?though they have the meko100 missile firing stealth patrol corvettes(excellent ships can effectively handle this situation) :coffee

 

[Aussie Digger]

The Hawk 208 is the strike fighter version of the Hawk, not a trainer. I think it would be useful as a secondary fighter, not their primary strike aircraft is all...

 

[pasukangeraktjepat]

TNI-AU(Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Udara/Indonesian Air Force) has sent a Boeing-737 recce plane to Ambalat Blok.And if i don't mistake TNI-AU also has some Hawk-100 and Hawk-200, similar with Malaysian Hawk, in airforce base in Kalimantan island.Meanwhile when tension in the area getting high, F-16 A/B from Iswahyudi Airbase in Madiun, East Java can sent to the area too,but we only has 6-8 falcon ready to operate.
Today i see in local tv the video recording shows malaysian's Beechcraft fly close to KRI Wiratno which patrolling in Sulawesi Sea.Some Indonesian politician said that it was a kind of provocation.But,other said that it happen because Malaysia has different opinion about borderline map with Indonesia.
The latest news is both govt.prepare to have diplomatic meeting.

 

[pasukangeraktjepat]

If i don't mistake TNI-AU ( Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Udara/Indonesian Air Force ) also has some Hawk-100 and Hawk-200, similar with Malaysian Hawk, in Airforce Base in Kalimantan, for borderline guard.And when the tension is getting high we still have 6-8 F-16 A/B ready to operate, from Iswahyudi Airbase Madiun, East Java.For recce op, TNI-AU has sent a B-737 recce plane to Ambalat Blok.
The defence ministry,Mr Juwono Sudarsono, also confirmed that govt.will sent more Army troops to guard the borderline.
Today i saw a video recording in local tv,it shows a Malaysian Beechcraft flying close to KRI Wiratno.Some 'ultra-nasionalistic' Indonesian politician, said that it was a provocation, because the plane fly in Indonesian territory, and the plane should be shooted-down.But more realistic politician and army officer said that Malaysia still have different opinion about borderline with Indonesia, and the best we do is make a formal protest to Malaysian govt.

 

[Aussie Digger]

Pasukangeraktjepat, do you have any information as to the operational readiness of Indonesia's F-16's? I read an article a while back indicating that most of the fleet had been grounded due to a lack of funding and a lack of spares/support.

Does Indonesia possess the actual ability to deploy 6-8 F-16's to a potential trouble spot? I'm only asking out of curiousity. I noticed a while back (before Tsunami) that an Indonesian Politician responded to a request by TNI-AU for funding for additional SU-27/30 aircraft by claiming that such funding would be more beneficial in going towards acquiring some armament for the SU27/30 aircraft that you've already bought. The implication being that such aircraft have no weapons in TNI-AU service!!!

If you can't answer (for whatever reason) or don't feel like it, that's fine but it'd be interesting to know. I'd bet all the Malaysian airforce aircraft are operational and equipped with appropriate weapons...

 

[Pendekar]

from their overall capability, Inodnesian Submarines will be a greatest threat to the RMN. RMN doesn't have a proper tools for ASW and they also lack experiance in it.

 

[gf0012-aust]

I was under the distinct impression that the F-16 fleet was basically grounded due to maint issues.

 

[pasukangeraktjepat]

For gf-0012 aust :
I've read last year article, in November or October, about the Falcon.When former US ambassador for Indonesia, Mr Ralph Boyce visit Iswahyudi Airbase, he said that he was surprise that TNI-AU still able to fly the Falcon.I think our airforce do 'cannibalization' to keep it fly.That's why we can't use it for routine patrol, because we don't have enough spare part for maintainance.But i think we still can use the Falcon in critical circumstance.

The Sukhois is still don't have armament, and 28 British' Hawk-200 is our main air defence for now.About 10-12 Hawk-200 from 1st Air Squadron is stationed in Supadio Airbase, West Kalimantan, for borderline patrol.

Malaysian Airforce has Mig-29 and F-18 in significant number, and some military expert in Indonesia stated that its different with the 'Konfrontasi era' in 60, when Indonesia posses a large number of aircraft, from Mig until Tupolev bomber.Our navy has around 120 warships but a lot of them are 80's or 90's production, compare with modern ship that Malaysian navy operate.So confrontation was not an option.We just want to keep what is ours.

Yesterday, KD Kerambit 43 TLDM make a radio contact with KRI Rencong 622 TNI-AL, both captain of the ship than agree to start patrol together.I hope it will start peace solution about this problem.

 

[Pendekar]

i guess conflict is the last thing occur in everybodies mind. Indonesia with it's internal problems, especially Acheh rebellion and the latest tsunami disaster. Malaysia with the recent turmoil in it's northern border (reflected by the latest Thaksin accusation that malaysia is a house to a multitude of Pattani separatist movements) and not to mention the Spratly Islands. the last "konfrontasi" have thought us the "true virtue" of war and if that's not enough the WW2 should do.

RMAF have already lost 2 of it's Mig-29 fighter. there'a a talk of replacement but i think it's just a talk. Migs, while vaunted, were also prove to be a nuisance especially when u put a spare parts problems into the equation. though the problem have lessenned somewhat, it still happening at some lesser extent. luckily malaysian have an efficient and highly professionals management team and most of the problems were solved before it became too criticals.

#most of u outside Malaysia have more knowledge of the well being of Malaysian Forces than those average malaysians living inside the country. the government controlled media usually didn't report such a matter for the sake of politics.

 

[pasukangeraktjepat]

I get the information from Indonesian local military magazine, Angkasa, if i'm not mistaken there was similar magazine in Malaysia, Perajurit.In other internet forum, i saw Malaysian people talk about their defence from that source.

 

[Deltared075]

The parajurit magazine? it suck big time... very disappointed magazine which don't show any military hardware but just some stupid comment by high ranking officers!

 

[pasukangeraktjepat]

Well of course local military mag like Angkasa or Perajurit can't compare with Jane's edition But it help us informed with our armed forces.
Back to topic,TNI-AL deploy marines from Yontaifib ( Batalyon Intai Amphibi/ Amphibious Recconaissance Battalion ) in Surabaya base to Karang Unarang island, around Ambalat, to escort some worker building light house there.The navy also sent one more warship, KRI Singa, a large patrol craft.Total we have 7 warship around there now.
TNI-AU sent 4 F-16 to Balikpapan Airbase to do borderline patrol from there.
And today President Yudhoyono will come to Kalimantan, to meet illegal Indonesian worker that came back from Malaysia.After that he will go to Ambalat Blok.President will use KRI Karel Satsuit Tubun, escorted with three other warship.

 

[Deltared075]

What fighter deploy at Sabah? If i'm not mistaken most of the Mig-29 were deployed at the Malaysia paninsular. So F-18 at Sabah?

Maybe now we can see the F-18 or the F-16 is better

 

[Pendekar]

F-5E was based at labuan, sabah. hawk 208 was based at Kedah. Mig 29 was based at Kuantan, pahang. F/A-18D at butterworth, penang. and the upcoming SU-30MKM at Gong Kedak, kelantan.

 

[Pendekar]

I get the information from Indonesian local military magazine, Angkasa, if i'm not mistaken there was similar magazine in Malaysia, Perajurit.In other internet forum, i saw Malaysian people talk about their defence from that source.

i heard a rumors that 2 of PERAJURIT editors was fired for the story about the grounding of MIGs