KRI Nanggala-402 Submarine Missing, Jokowi: Safety Of 53 Crew, Top Priority

President Jokowi gives a press statement about the disappearance of KRI Nanggala-402 in Bali waters (Presidential Secretariat Youtube)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) ordered TNI Commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto and Chief of Navy (KSAL) Admiral Yudo Margono to prioritize the safety of 53 crew members of the KRI Nanggala-402 submarine. This submarine has been missing in waters north of Bali since Wednesday, April 21.

"The main priority is the safety of 53 crew members," said Jokowi in a video statement uploaded to the Presidential Secretariat YouTube account, Thursday, April 22.

Jokowi also asked the TNI, Basarnas, and various other related agencies to make optimal efforts in search and rescue efforts.

In addition, Jokowi asked the family of the KRI Nanggala-402 crew to be patient. Jokowi emphasized that the current government has and will continue to do its best in finding ships and rescuing the crew on board the German-made ship.

In addition, Jokowi also invited all people in the country to pray that the search for submarines would soon be successful.

"I invite the whole community to pray that this search and rescue effort will be carried out, that it will be easier to find KRI Nanggala-402 and all its crew members in a safe condition," he said.

Previously reported, KRI Nanggala-402 previously requested permission to dive in Bali waters at 03.00 WITA, Wednesday, April 21. It is planned that the submarine will carry out firing for a training rehearsal. However, the KRI Nanggala-402, which brought these 53 people, then lost contact.

The search was carried out using active sonar in the vicinity of the KRI Nanggala-402 dive. But to no avail. Meanwhile, at 07.00 WITA, the search was carried out by air. An oil spill was seen at the location of the KRI Nanggala-402 diving.

The Chief of Naval Staff (KSAL) Admiral Yudo Margono confirmed that the KRI Nanggala-402 submarine that was lost in Bali waters was fit for use even though it was old. Moreover, this submarine has received an eligibility letter from the Navy's Materiel Feasibility Service.

"The Nanggala-402 submarine is ready, both personnel and material. The personnel are complete, the material has already received the Dislaikmatal eligibility letter," Yudo said in a press conference broadcast on YouTube Puspen TNI, Thursday, April 22.

He said that this ship was built in Germany in 1977 and received by the Indonesian Navy in 1981. So far, the Nanggala-402 has a history of firing 15 torpedo head exercises and twice firing the war head torpedoes.

"So the KRI Nanggala is ready for combat, so we send it, we involve it to fire the torpedo of the head of training and the head of war," he said.

Meanwhile, TNI Commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto said the eligibility letter issued by Dislaikmatal was still valid until March 25, 2022.

"It is still feasible to carry out operational activities," he said.