Surabaya, East Java (ANTARA News) - Two Royal Australian Navy (RAN) warships, HMAS Arunta 151 and HMAS Sirius 266, departed for Java Sea on Wednesday to participate in the New Horizon 2015 joint exercise.

The Australian warships were seen off by Operations Assistant to the Commander of the Indonesian Navy Base V, Col Daniel Mudji Rahadi, at Surabayas port of Tanjung Perak.

For the two-day exercise on November 11-12, the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) deployed two warships, KRI Usman Harun-359 and KRI Diponegoro-365.

HMAS Arinta-151 is a frigate class ship which is 118 meter long and 15 meter wide. It is equipped with various kinds of weapons and a radar.

HMAS Sirius, meanwhile, is a battle logistics support ship measuring 191.3 meter in length and 32 meter in width. It is manned by 60 personnel and is equipped with 5x12.7 mm machine guns and radars.

"We hope it will deepen brotherhood and military cooperation between the two countries navies," commander of the coordination unit of the Eastern Fleet Command, Col. Arsyad Abdullah, said.

HMAS Sirius-266 and HMAS Arunta-151 arrived at Jamrud Pier at Tanjung Perak on Monday and would return to their home country after the exercise.

On Tuesday, the commander of Division 2 of the army strategic reserve command, Major General Ganip Warsito, saw off a swift unit of PPPRC elements involved in the sea task force ships KRI Makassar-590, KRI Sultan Hasanuddin-366 and KRI Tombak-629 at the Eastern Fleet Command Pier at Ujung, Surabaya who would depart for the operations region to join other sea task force units which have already arrived to carry out initial blocking operations in Morotai waters in North Maluku.

Deputy to Operations Assistant to Defense Forces, Chief Commodore Harjo Susmoro, at the same time inspected Marine Corps fighters den at Sutedi Senaputra Bhumi Marinir in Karangpilang, Surabaya.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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