Prabowo Scheduled To Attend MNEK 2025, Will Review All Indonesian Navy Warships

KSAL during a press conference at Pushidrosal Command Headquarters, Jakarta, Tuesday (4/2/2024). (ANTARA/Bagus Ahmad Rizaldi)

JAKARTA - Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy (KSAL) Admiral Muhammad Ali said President Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to be present to directly inspect all Indonesian Navy and foreign warships in the 5th Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo (MNEK) activity in 2025.

"We have submitted to him (Prabowo Subianto) that he can attend, especially in carrying out a fleet review, inspecting warships from guests of friendly countries. The Minister of Defense has planned to attend as well," said Admiral Ali at the Indonesian Navy Staff and Command School (Seskoal), Cipulir, South Jakarta, Wednesday, February 5, confiscated by Antara.

Ali continued that MNEK activities are planned to open on February 15, 2025. After the opening ceremony, the activity was continued with a review of the fleet or fleet review which was planned to be carried out on February 16, 2025.

In the review, the entire country will show its combat strength, from warships, helicopters to planes for the marine fleet.

Ali said most of MNEK's preparations had gone smoothly and hoped that the international joint training activities would also run smoothly.

MNEK is a non-combatan exercise that has been held regularly every two years by the Indonesian Navy since 2014.

The exercise aims to build cooperation and strengthen naval interoperability from countries in the Asia Pacific region in humanitarian operations and disaster management (HA/DR), and strengthen cooperation in maintaining security at sea.

The Indonesian Navy has invited the navy from 58 countries and so far there are 39 countries, including Indonesia as the host, which confirmed its presence to participate in MNEK exercises in Bali. Of the 39 countries, a number of countries have also confirmed that they will ship their warships.

The KSAL at a press conference in Jakarta on January 3, 2025, explained that 21 foreign warships and 17 warships of the Republic of Indonesia (KRI) will train together in the Badung Strait during the 5th MNEK of 2025.

The countries that ship their warships are Australia, France, India, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, Britain, the United States, Vietnam, Iran, South Korea, and China. Each country sends one ship, except for three ships of Russia, then Malaysia, Iran, Singapore, and India each with two ships.

Other 5th MNEK participating countries, namely Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Fiji, Iraq, and Italy. Then, there are also Kenya, Laos, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.

In a series of MNEK events, the training activities included base and sea phase phase training, then there was also a forum for exchanging experiences and insights between officers (SMEE), bilateral meetings with the navy of various countries, the International Maritime Security Symposium (IMSS), defense exhibitions, cultural activities and cultural parades in Bali.

In the same series, there is also a social service program called engineering civic action program (ENCAP) in Antiga Kelod Village, Karangasem, Bali, for 45 days starting January 1.

The planned development programs include renovations of fishing equipment warehouses, construction of MCK facilities, and one-kilometer road asphalting.

In addition, there are also health services or so-called medical panic assistance programs (MEDCAP) which include complete medical examinations, dental health checks, blood donations, mass circumcision, cataract operations, and cleft lip surgery for residents in Karangasem, Bali.

The health service will be held on the aid ship of the KRI dr hospital. Wahidin Sudirohusodo-991 which is scheduled to dock at Tanah Ampo Pier, Karangasem, on February 17, 2025.