"There will be refurbishment of our warships, especially the old ones, and some of them will undergo mid-life modernization. The Defense Ministry's plan is (to rejuvenate) 41 ships," he added on the main deck of state warship KRI Banda Aceh-593 at the Command of Military Sea Traffic headquarters in Jakarta.
In the first phase, the Navy will prioritize the refurbishment of 8 very old ships. "We will prioritize very old ships that have to be repaired, there are probably 8 of them," Ali said.
The warship rejuvenation plan will consider the capacity of existing shipyards in Indonesia, both those owned by state enterprises and the private sector. This is because the Navy wants to involve domestic shipyards in the revitalization of old warships.
"(The rejuvenation) of 41 ships will be carried out in the country. We will prioritize and involve all domestic shipyards in the construction of warships," he said.
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According to him, a similar commitment will be made to strengthen the Navy's military armament system, for instance, in the procurement of snipers and drones.
Ali revealed that his party is still mulling over the best armament that has been offered to the Navy.
"We can buy more sophisticated equipment from overseas, but we still put domestic products first," he said.
Moreover, if it purchases a military armament system from abroad, the Navy will include the transfer of knowledge and technology in the agreement.
In modernizing and improving the combat capabilities of the 41 warships, the Defense Ministry will cooperate with state-owned naval shipbuilder PT PAL Indonesia.
Earlier, on January 3, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto instructed his staff to add more state warships that need to be modernized to maintain the country's defense system.
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Translator: Gilang G, Kenzu
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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