... That is the basic strategy for the mechanism for the procurement of the main military hardwares set by the Indonesian government with high or medium technology such as submarines...Bandung, W Java (ANTARA News) - Indonesia is discussing the mechanism for transfer of technology with South Korea with regard to the purchase of three new submarines from that country. This means the new era of Indonesia's maritime defence system will arise in not a long time.
"The procurement process has finished with regard to determining the producer and contract," deputy minister of defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said here on Tuesday.
Indonesia has chosen South Korea for the procurement of three new submarines, rather than from Russia and France upon consideration on technical specifications, operational needs and budget.
Sjamsoeddin said the contract states mechanism for transfer of technology from the start of procurement process to the completion.
"Meaning the transfer is carried out since the start of purchasing through the sending of technicians to inspect directly the manufacturing process of the ships," he said.
"This will be a challenge in itself for Indonesia especially for PT PAL (state-owned shipbuilding company) as the number is quite large namely 50 people," he said.
On the second procurement stage the technicians are expected to have been involved in technical things relating to sub-marine production.
"Well, here is when our technicians begin to have direct physical interaction with the production process. So, 50 percent of the role of the producer is taken over by out technicians," he said.
Sjamsoeddin said during the production of the second submarine a shipyard will have been made available in addition to the preparation of technicians. "So, it will go parallel," he said.
After that production of the third submarine would be done in Indonesia and by Indonesian technicians, he said.
"That is the basic strategy for the mechanism for the procurement of the main military hardwares set by the Indonesian government with high or medium technology such as submarines," he said.
So, he said, Indonesia does not intend to slow down the process of procurement but there is a government policy for the procurement of main weapon system equipment from abroad that producer must also understand. (R018)
Editor: Ade P Marboen
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