AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE,
JAKARTA, Indonesia: Indonesia will hold massive naval exercises off the eastern coast of Borneo, including in waters disputed with neighbouring Malaysia, a navy spokesman said Tuesday.
The exercise, codenamed Armada Jaya XXY, will include a beach landing by marines in Sanggata, just south of the border with Malaysia's Sabah state, and maneuvers in part of the Sulawesi Sea also claimed by Malaysia, Eastern Fleet Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Toni Syaiful told AFP.
Syaiful declined to describe the exercise as a “show of force.”
Instead he quoted Navy Chief Slamet Subiyanto as saying Monday: “that is our own backyard, what is wrong in us conducting an exercise in our own territory?”
The exercises officially kicked off Monday but deployments to the area will only begin on December 8. They would continue until December 14, Syaiful added.
A total of 40 ships, two aircraft and two helicopters as well as 5,000 men from various navy units, will take part in the exercise, which according to Syaiful “is the largest ever exercise held so far” by Indonesia.
He said that the exercise was a simulation of an attack on the country by “enemy forces” and would include maneuvers in the Ambalat block in the Sulawesi Sea.
In April, warships from Indonesia and Malaysia collided with each other near the Ambalat block, but no serious damage resulted.
Tension between the two countries has increased since Malaysia granted permission to Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell Group to conduct exploration in the area last year.
Since then, the two countries have deployed warships to the disputed area and stepped up their respective patrolling in the area.
“Although it was officially launched on Monday, the first stages would not involve troop and ship deployments but concern problem analyzing, planning strategy and tactical moves and preparing for deployment,” Syaiful said.
