Bakamla Alerts Fleet In Waters Considered As Vulnerable: Natuna Sea And West Coast Of Sumatra

JAKARTA - The Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) of the Republic of Indonesia plans to deploy a fleet of standby (fleet in being) in several waters that are considered vulnerable.

"The deployment of the standby fleet in these waters is Bakamla's strategy to continue to pay special attention to areas that are believed to be vulnerable amid limited patrol assets and operational budgets.

"I made a concept, a strategy, so I (Bakamla) was present in areas which after I analyzed them were indeed vulnerable, there we needed to be present," said Head of Bakamla, Admiral TNI Aan Kurnia, as quoted by Antara, Wednesday, December 22.

The waters that are considered vulnerable are in the North Natuna Sea, the West Coast of Sumatra/Sumatra Island, as well as the Indonesian Archipelago Sea Lanes (ALKI) I, ALKI II, and ALKI III.

Ideally, continued Aan Bakamla, always patrolling all waters that are included in Indonesia's sovereignty and sovereign rights. However, the existence of various limitations encourages Bakamla to focus more on certain waters that are considered vulnerable.

In his presentation, the Head of Bakamla explained that the waters on the West Coast of Sumatra were one of the priority safeguards because that area was the main route for drug smuggling from abroad to enter Indonesia.

"From the description of the incident, it can be seen that the highest security and safety issues are in the western part of Indonesia. So, it is the western part of Indonesia that remains the center of our attention, especially in the Malacca Strait to ALKI I. This is the focal area that we must also pay attention to in 2022," explained Laksdya Aan.

The Indonesian Archipelagic Sea Lane I (ALKI) is a waterway that crosses the South China Sea, Karimata Strait, Java Sea, Sunda Strait, and the Indian Ocean.

Then, the waters that fall within the reach of ALKI II (Lombok Strait, Makassar Strait, Sulawesi Sea) and ALKI III (Sawu Sea, Ombai Strait, Banda Sea, Seram Sea, Maluku Sea, Pacific Ocean) will also be priority areas for protection in 2022.

The Head of Bakamla explained that ALKI I, ALKI II, and ALKI III are international sea routes that pass through Indonesian territory. Therefore, there are security and safety risks that need to be anticipated in these waterways due to the high intensity of shipping and aviation activities.

Lastly, Bakamla also prioritizes deploying a standby fleet in the North Natuna Sea, Riau Islands, in 2022.

The North Natuna Sea is a strategic waterway that is often the target of violations of sovereign rights by Vietnam and China.

Therefore, in addition to deploying a standby fleet, Bakamla will also prioritize the title of strength in these vulnerable waters, especially in the North Natuna Sea, ALKI I, ALKI II, and ALKI III.

Bakamla will also increase cooperation in exchanging information with foreign ministries/agencies and maritime security agencies, especially those in the Southeast Asian region.