TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) Headquarters has agreed to upgrade a naval post in Nabire in Papua province to the level of a naval base, Commander of the Jayapura Naval Base X, Brigadir General Heru Kusmanto said.
Preparations to upgrade the naval post to a naval base have been started, he stated here on Wednesday, adding, "Several personnel have been sent to Nabire and they have begun to prepare everything."
However, no exact date has been set to inaugurate the naval base, he added.
Asked about plans to also upgrade the Sarmi naval post into a naval base, he disclosed that his side had originally proposed to upgrade both the two naval posts. However, the TNI AL Headquarters only agreed to upgrade the Nabire naval post.
The Sarmi naval post will likely be upgraded after the inauguration of the Nabire naval base, he informed, adding that Merauke and Sorong naval bases, which previously belonged to the jurisdiction of the Jayapura naval base, have been already inaugurated.
The Jayapura naval base X itself oversees the north waters of Papua, he said.
ANTARA
