Quote:
Air Platforms
Indonesia upgrades naval base near South China Sea
Ridzwan Rahmat, Jakarta - IHS Jane's Navy International
18 August 2014
The Indonesian Navy (Tentera Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Laut, or TNI-AL) has begun upgrading its naval base at Ranai in Riau Islands to support a planned increase in ship numbers in the region, a senior TNI-AL officer has said.
Speaking to IHS Jane's on 14 August in Jakarta, TNI-AL Chief of Staff for the Western Fleet (KOARMABAR) Commodore Amarulla Octavian described the upgrades as consisting primarily of logistics support facilities, including the building of fuel depots, that will enable the TNI-AL to sustain deployments in the area.
"The logistics facilities are being [upgraded] to support the TNI-AL's increasing presence in the region so that we may safeguard the country's maritime territories from any hostile forces should they pose a threat", he said, although without making specific reference to any particular country.
IHS Janes
Setelah Kalimantan Barat, Natuna dan Riau, sebenarnya langkah upgrade Pangkalan TNI AL ini sekali tepuk dua sampe tiga pulau terlewati. Selain lebih mudah mengawasi aktivitas China di perairan LCS, juga mengamankan Selat Malaka, juga bisa memotong jalur supply dan logistik Malaysia dari Semenanjung ke Sabah dan Serawak seandainya ada konflik antara Indonesia-Malaysia.
