Indonesia considering sationing of command ship in Somalian waters

Jakarta Forum-ANTARA News - Indonesia is exploring various possibilities to ensure the security of Indonesian-flagged ships passing through Somalian waters following the recent piracy incident including the possibility of stationing a command ship in the region.

"A second possibility is putting security personnel on board every ship that will pass through Somalian waters," National Defense Forces (TNI) Commander Admiral Agus Suhartono said here on Monday.

He said these measures were not impossible to do but a thorough study had to be done before implementing them "such as regarding the frequency of Indonesian ships passing through Somalian waters or whether it is effective if we station a command ship with regard to the frequency or whether it is effective for us to station security personnel on every ship to pass there. These are things that we have to study first," he said.

Regarding the possibility of Indonesia joining the Combined Task Force One Five One (CTF 151) led by Singapore, Agus said that he had already sent two middle-ranking officers in the CTF 151.

"The presence of the officers have been proven effective especially for securing Indonesian-flagged ships that pass the Somalian waters. Even they have intensively helped the officers in dealing with the recent piracy of Sinar Kudus," he said.

Agus said the CTF was only for securing the shipping lane in the Gulf of Aden. "So the shipping lane is secured by multinational forces requiring ships on the lane to pass through certain points that are secured by them. No talks however have been done with regard to securing ships already pirated," he said.

He said an agreement should be made by a number of countries whose ships have often been pirated there. "Certainly we must together overcome it with a UN Security Council agreement," he said.

Some countries whose ships have ever been pirated by Somali pirates have joined the CTF 151 as an anticipatory measure or sent a military ship as an escort. (T.R018/H-YH/HAJM)
Editor: Priyambodo RH Source: Antara News

Posted in: flagged ships,Indonesian,National Defense Forces,security,security of Indonesian,Somali pirates,Somalian waters,TNI