Seeking Fisherman Finds Seaglider Owners In Selayar Waters

KASAL Laksamana Yudo Margono describes the findings of the seaglider (Photo: TNI AL)

JAKARTA - A fisherman named Saeruddin in Selayar Waters, South Sulawesi found a seaglider, on December 26, 2019. The object was handed over to the Indonesian Navy a few days later.

After investigating the findings, Monday, January 4, the Chief of the Navy (KSAL) Admiral TNI Yudo Margono explained that this foreign object, which was originally referred to as a marine drone, is actually a slider, which is equipment in the industrial and military fields depending on the wearer.

He explained that seagliders work under sea level by diving for data, mapping roads to various information related to oceanography needed by the users of the tool.

Then, the seaglider will rise for a few moments to sea level to find a signal and transmit the data it has collected.

"This can be accessed through the website by anyone who can access data," Yudo said at the press conference. It's just that he did not explain in more detail regarding the site to access the information collected by the seaglider.

In the industrial sector, this tool can be used for various purposes such as fishing for the fishing industry and drilling for the mining industry. Meanwhile, when used in the military field, Yudo said this tool could be used to pave the way for submarines in deep sea areas.

"If it is used for defense, perhaps the depth or ocean layer data can be used so that the submarine is not detected," he said.

He explained, when this tool is used to find a submarine's path, the route that is sought is one where the depth of the sea is thick enough to prevent the submarine's movement from sonar detection.

"If it is thick, usually the submarine is not detected by the sonar of ships on the water," he said.

Although it has been explained that the device is a seaglider and how it works, until now it is not known which country the owner of the tool found in Selayar waters has come from.

He emphasized that he had given one month for his subordinates to investigate the countries that owned this tool because Indonesia did not yet have a seaglider.

"I gave Pak Kapushidros one month (Head of the Indonesian Navy's Center for Hydography and Oceanography) to be able to determine or disclose the results so that there is certainty," he said.

This time limit was given because further investigation was needed, as this object did not have a description of the country of manufacture or the country which operated it.

"So there is no writing here, we are not engineered that what we find like that, is still exactly what fishermen found and we bring it here (Pushidros TNI AL headquarters, red)," he said.

Don't be polemic about the findings of the seaglider

After KSAL Admiral TNI Yudo Margono announced their initial findings, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto through his spokesman, Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak asked the public not to go too far about the findings of the seaglider in Selayar waters because all related elements would handle it.

"The Ministry of Defense urges the public not to have counterproductive polemics. The Ministry and TNI Headquarters, especially the Navy, will definitely deal with this problem," Dahnil said in a written statement to journalists.

He continued, seagliders are widely used for underwater or oceanographic surveys and now, the Indonesian Navy is investigating these findings.

So, Dahnil said, society does not have a polemic. He continued, it would be better for the public to support the work of the TNI in disclosing this seaglider.

"Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto hopes that the people will continue to support the TNI to work hard for Indonesia's defense and let's strengthen the universal people's defense to ensure a stronger NKRI," he said.

An insistence on knowing the owner of the seaglider

Member of Commission I DPR RI PKB faction Abdul Kadir Karding urged all parties to find out the owner of the seaglider and the purpose of its use.

"First, we have to know exactly who owns or owns this seaglider, what purpose. If it is done by someone, it must be known in detail. If it is done by a businessman or corporation, we must also know the details and objectives," Karding said to journalists.

Apart from that, he urged the government to take a firm stance, especially when it was discovered that this slider had a foreign country that had entered Indonesia's territory without the knowledge of the authorities.

"If it is carried out by other countries or groups from other countries, then we must have a firm attitude as part of the act of entering our country without our knowledge or permission," he said.

Another member of Commission I DPR RI, Sukamta also urged the government to seriously investigate the owner of the seaglider.

"The government must seriously reveal the origin of these drones," he said when contacted by reporters some time ago.

Meanwhile, military observer from the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies (ISESS) Khairul Fahmi said that even though many of these gliders are similar to those of China, Indonesia has an obligation to investigate it further so as not to cause misunderstandings between the two countries.

"If the country or the users are known, the steps that the government should take are to use diplomatic channels to deliver strong protests and warnings," Khairul told reporters.

He said that this strong protest and warning was deemed necessary, because whoever the owner and user of this tool was suspected of having bad intentions or goals that could potentially become a real threat to Indonesian sovereignty.

After it is known who the owner of this seaglider is, the DPR and the government must sit down together. They must discuss so that this kind of incident does not happen again by making regulations and others.

"The government and the DPR must also immediately discuss steps that must be taken to increase the ability to close this vulnerable gap, from the regulatory aspect to the need for detection and deterrence devices," he concluded.