Helping The Search For Victims Of Sriwijaya Air SJ-182, Luhut Prepares Sophisticated Ships

ARA Boat to be sent by the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment to assist in the search and evacuation of Sriwijaya Air SJ 182 aircraft (Photo: Doc: Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Investment)

JAKARTA - Luhut Pandjaitan, through the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Kemenko Marves), has prepared research vessel ARA Boat to help search and evacuate the Sriwijaya Air SJ 182 plane on the Jakarta-Pontianak route that crashed in the waters of the Thousand Islands.

"We, from the Coordinating Ministry for Marves, received directions from the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Menko Marves) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan to assist the search process for the Sriwijaya Air SJ 182 aircraft. Our job is to help find traces of broken aircraft so we can see through the difference in centimeter height to find the distribution the material on the seabed is related to the aircraft, "Deputy for Maritime Resources Coordination Safri Burhanuddin was quoted as saying from Antara, Sunday, January 10.

Safri conveyed this in a coordination meeting and discussion regarding search assistance for the Sriwijaya Air SJ 182 plane for the Jakarta-Pontianak route which was held via video conference on Sunday.

He explained that the ARA Boat research and training ship that is deployed to help search and evacuate has several advanced features in carrying out the process of searching for objects at a depth of below 100 meters.

The Indonesian government is collaborating with an international research agency in collaboration with Indonesia and the Korea Marine Technology Cooperation Research Center (MTCRC) to assist in the evacuation process.

"We have research vessels or survey vessels that have sophisticated GPS radars with technologies such as Multi Beam Echosounder, Dual Channel Single Beam Echosounder, Sub Bottom Profiler to see conditions on the seabed, CTD and sensors for PH measurement, and Grab Sampler. ready to depart from Cirebon with a ship size of 12 meters with a capacity of eight crew members, "said Safri.

The National Search and Relief Agency (Basarnas) Alert Director Didi Hamzar allowed the Coordinating Ministry for Marves to join the search process and coordinate with the team in the field.

"We are very grateful for the assistance from the Coordinating Ministry for Marves. Later we can coordinate with the team in the field, namely the Head of the SAR Mission Coordinator," said Didi.

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of the Ministry of Transportation, represented by the Director's Secretary Nur Isnin Istiartono, appreciated the assistance from the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs regarding search vessels and ARA Boat research.

"We appreciate the rapid preparation of this ship to carry out the search process, but later it is necessary to continue to coordinate with Basarnas as the search coordinator for the loss of the Sriwijaya Air SJ 182 aircraft," he concluded.

The coordination meeting was attended by representatives from the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT), representatives from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), representatives from the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), representatives from PT Angkasa Pura II, representatives from Air Nav Indonesia, representatives from PT Sriwijaya Air, and representatives from MTCRC.